Gov. Maura Healey pitches lawmakers on the Housing Committee on her five-year, $4.1 billion housing bond bill at a hearing on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. Photo by Chris Lisinski | State House News Service

Gov. Maura Healey’s sweeping, $4.1 billion housing bond bill is moving forward in the legislative pipeline.

The Housing Committee on Monday gave the measure – packed with policy changes like permission for cities and towns to implement new taxes on real estate transactions and use the money for affordable housing projects – a favorable report.

After having custody of the bill for more than four months, committee members did not make any changes to the bill (H.4138) and advanced it as Healey drafted it. Republican Rep. David DeCoste of Norwell was the lone dissenting vote, according to committee co-chair Rep. James Arciero’s office, and another unnamed lawmaker declined to take an up or down position.

The bill, which Healey has described as one of her top priorities, will head next to the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, according to House Speaker Ron Mariano’s office.

“We all recognize the impact the housing crisis is having on our residents, our economy and our competitiveness. We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration for the lofty goals it seeks to achieve in their Housing Bond Bill,” Arciero of Westford and his co-chair, Sen. Lydia Edwards of Boston, said in a joint statement. “At the same time, the bill represents $4 billion in funding at a time when we are facing challenging revenue conditions and other priorities, and includes dozens of policy proposals that are also relevant to other legislative committees. To ensure that constituents, municipalities, and legislators have as many opportunities as possible to provide feedback, we have moved the bill in its original form as we contemplate changes in the future.”

Just a few hours before the Housing Committee advanced the bill, the House and Senate approved extension orders giving the panel until Friday, April 12 to make a recommendation on it and 109 other proposals under its review.

Lawmakers are likely to make changes to the housing bond bill, which has drawn opposition from real estate industry leaders to certain sections like local-option real estate transfer fees.

Massachusetts residents continue to face enormous strain from a lack of available, affordable housing, raising concerns that they could be pushed out of state. The state legislature typically approves a housing bond bill every few years, and Healey packed hers with significantly more money and policy riders in an attempt to drum up housing production she argues is key to making Massachusetts a more attractive home for both families and businesses.