Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act
Full title: An Act to guarantee a tenant’s first right of refusal (H.1544 / S.998)
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Jay Livingstone & Rep. Rob Consalvo; Sen. Pat Jehlen
The Issue
To solve our housing crisis, we need not only to increase the supply of affordable housing but also to protect existing affordable housing stock, especially “naturally occurring” affordable housing. This refers to unsubsidized units that remain affordable for working- and middle-class families. Preserving naturally occurring affordable housing is a critical piece of addressing our housing crisis, but these units are especially vulnerable to market forces, creating a high risk for displacement. When large corporate speculators or reinvestment firms buy up these properties instead, residents can see large spikes in rents and can be forced to move.
The Solution
The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) would enable cities and towns to enact an ordinance to give tenants in multi-family buildings a right of first refusal to purchase their building when it goes on the market. Tenants would be able to designate that right to a local housing party, community development corporation, or other partner organization.
TOPA can help stabilize our housing stock, keep working-class families in their homes, and step the outmigration of residents from our state. It has proven especially successful in Washington, DC, where it has preserved 16,000 homes as affordable.
Contact Your Legislators
Find your legislators’ contact information here.
I am writing today to urge you to co-sponsor the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (H.1544 / S.998). This bill would be a powerful tool for combating displacement and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing by giving cities and towns the ability to pass an ordinance to give tenants in multi-family buildings a right of first refusal to purchase their building when it goes on the market.
Such a policy has proven immensely successful in Washington, DC, where it has preserved 16,000 homes as affordable. TOPA can help stabilize our housing stock, keep working-class families in their homes, and step the outmigration of residents from our state. It has made headway in the State House over the last few sessions, and it’s time to finish the job and pass it this session and empower our cities and towns to address the housing crisis.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
TOPA can help stabilize our housing stock, keep working-class families in their hommes, and step the outmigration of residents from our state. #TimeforTOPA
The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act is a proven policy. In DC, it has preserved 16,000 homes as affordable. It’s #TimeforTOPA in MA.
TOPA is a critical tool for addressing real estate speculation. Let’s allow tenants the right of first refusal to purchase their buildings and protect affordable homes. #TimeforTOPA
TOPA would expand first-time home ownership opportunities, especially for communities where home ownership is often out of reach. #TimeforTOPA
TOPA is a key tool to prevent real estate speculation. In the 2008 foreclosure, huge amounts of wealth were lost by communities of color and working-class families. #TimeforTOPA
TOPA would allow cities and towns to take action to address the affordable housing crisis in their communities. #TimeforTOPA
We need to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, and TOPA can help us do it. #TimeforTOPA
Write a Letter to the Editor
Adapt the template below! Or email us at issues@progressivemass.com for help!
To solve our housing crisis, we need not only to increase the supply of affordable housing but also to protect existing affordable housing stock, especially “naturally occurring” affordable housing. When affordable buildings are put on the market, they can be bought up by large corporate speculators or investment firms, leading to higher rents and displacement of working- and middle-class families.
The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (H.1544 / S.998) would be a powerful tool for combating such displacement and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing. How? TOPA would give cities and towns the ability to pass an ordinance to give tenants in multi-family buildings a right of first refusal to purchase their building when it goes on the market. Such a policy has proven immensely successful in Washington, DC, where it has preserved 16,000 homes as affordable. TOPA can help stabilize our housing stock, keep working-class families in their homes, and step the outmigration of residents from our state. It has made headway in the State House over the last few sessions, and it’s time to finish the job and pass it this session and empower our cities and towns to address the housing crisis.
Read More
Partridge Guerrero, Jessie. Homes for Profit: Speculation and Investment in Greater Boston. Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 2023. https://homesforprofit.mapc.org/.
Trout, Ryan et al. Sustaining Affordability: The Role of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) in Washington, DC. Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development, 2023. https://cnhed.org/news/cnhed-releases-comprehensive-analysis-of-dcs-tenant-opportunity-to-purchase-act-topa/.
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