YIMBYs Should Fear Trojan Horse Accusations
If huge housing complexes next to transit hubs are allowed to become the de facto symbol of YIMBYism, the cause is all but doomed in our politically polarized country.
Special Session Planned to Pass Biotech, Stadium Bill
Following an appeal from Gov. Maura Healey, the leaders of the House and Senate said late Friday that they are willing to call a special formal session of the Legislature to approve an economic development bond bill.
Beacon Hill’s Mad Dash Ends in Frustration
Each of the high-profile bills Beacon Hill passed or failed to pass last week deserved public scrutiny and debate, including votes at normal times open for all the public to see.
Beacon Hill Dems Warm to Continuing Debate on Unfinished Bills
Nothing official has been announced, but House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka raised that possibility early Thursday morning as it became clear that many of the bills they wanted to pass were not going to make it.
Lobbying Intensifies on BlueHub Mortgage Amendment
The six-member legislative conference committee trying to find common ground on a wide-ranging economic development bill is also facing heavy lobbying pressure on a narrow provision dealing with a product called a shared appreciation mortgage.
After Wu Agrees to Changes, House Passes Boston Tax Bill
State representatives are ready to move forward on a proposed property tax rebalancing plan for the city of Boston after Mayor Michelle Wu agreed to scale back the changes.
With Session Nearing End, Boston Tax Rate Bill Advances
While it ran into resistance during its public hearing, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposal to temporarily increase the property tax rate for commercial buildings cleared its first major legislative hurdle as a key deadline approaches.
As Deadline Looms, a Look at Beacon Hill’s Competing Housing Bills
House and Senate negotiators face an end-of-July deadline to agree on a compromise housing policy-and-funding bill before the legislature goes on break for the rest of the year.
Boston Tax Shift Plan Faces Turbulence on Beacon Hill
Legislators on the Joint Committee on Revenue pushed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on her proposal to increase tax rates on commercial property owners to compensate for falling office values.
Wu: Tax Shift ‘Most Likely’ Getting Hearing Next Week
After meeting with Boston’s delegation of state legislators Monday, Mayor Michelle Wu said she’s holding out hope that her plan to shift the city’s property tax burden to avoid a residential tax hike could pass through the State House before a quickly approaching deadline.
Transfer Tax Not in Senate Leadership’s Housing Bill
Senate Democrats seek to authorize more than $5 billion in borrowing to spur housing production in a bill that would make a number of policy changes to Massachusetts’ housing laws, but leaves the much-discussed proposal to allow communities to tax high-value real estate transactions to pay for affordable housing on the cutting room floor.
Senate Plans To Tackle Housing Bill Next Week
Senate President Karen Spilka indicated Monday that the Senate will take up its version of a major housing policy and borrowing bill next week, but she declined to give any indication whether her chamber will include in its bill the local-option transfer tax that Gov. Maura Healey proposed but was left out of the bill passed by the House.
Poll Shows It’s Up to Healey to Guide State’s Housing Fixes
When it comes to tackling the housing crisis, Massachusetts voters want an all-of-the-above approach. That’s one message to take away from a recent poll.
Transfer Tax Options Still in Play on Beacon Hill
Supporters of transfer fees on property transactions to raise money for housing have a huge barrier to overcome now that top House Democrats have made clear they do not support the idea, but they still have the governor on their side and there are a few routes that they could take in the state legislature.
House Adds $2.1B to Healey’s $4B Housing Bill
House Democrats will seek a vote this week on a bill that combines $6.2 billion in state borrowing and tax credits with policy reforms designed to unlock new housing production, including allowing accessory dwelling units by-right statewide.
Poll: Voters Open To Housing Crisis Solutions
A University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll released Monday morning found that housing was the most-mentioned issue when respondents were asked what is the most important issue facing the state.
Lobbying Intensifies as Housing Bill Deadline Looms
Housing advocates and elected officials rallied Wednesday in support of a statewide policy to allow accessory dwelling units by right, and the state’s top housing official offered his “word on the street” about the timing of a major housing bill’s arrival in the House.
CHAPA Launches New Housing Coalition with Biz Groups
Throughout the pandemic, labor shortages and supply chain issues bedeviled Massachusetts businesses. But business leaders say the housing crisis in Massachusetts is now the major existential threat to the state’s competitiveness.
Burst Of Debate Highlights Housing Fault Lines
If the late-night outpouring of emotion about a single budget amendment is any indication, Beacon Hill could be in for a doozy of a debate whenever top Democrats get around to a major housing bill this summer.
Transfer Tax Would Make Small Dent in Housing Needs
A proposed tax on high-value real estate transactions to pay for affordable housing would add an estimated 3,210 affordable homes in Massachusetts over five years, according to the governor’s administration – a drop in the bucket of the state’s 200,000 housing unit shortage.
