Climate Organizations’ Priorities for the House Climate Bill

To the 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, House of Representatives,

RE: Climate Organizations’ Priorities for the House Climate Bill

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made a commitment to environmental justice and to meeting our climate goals in order to ensure a livable planet and a just transition for all. The  Legislature is poised to take a major step towards modernizing the electric grid and promoting the electrification of transportation and buildings. We call on the House of Representatives to take this opportunity to meet critical environmental justice (EJ) goals and to equitably and rapidly transform the gas industry into one that meets the Commonwealth’s climate goals while keeping gas rates down.

The undersigned organizations present elements that must be in this year’s climate bill when it lands on Governor Healey’s desk.

  1. Siting and Permit Approvals tied to a robust cumulative impact analysis. A cumulative impacts analysis (or a reference to it in legislation) will not be meaningful for EJ populations if the analysis is limited to foreseeable impacts related only to the project. In a dramatically streamlined permitting process, like the one envisioned in S.2829, redrafted as S.2838, a cumulative impacts analysis that takes the entire context of a community’s pollution and industrial burden into account is a critical protection for environmental justice communities. A cumulative impacts analysis is not a cure-all or a blanket requirement for a project proponent to redress all of the burdens existing in a host community. It would allow project proponents, decision-makers, and the public to better understand the existing conditions in a host community, weigh the benefits and burdens associated with projects that promote decarbonization of the electricity sector, and ensure that the people living in the communities where that infrastructure is sited are able to benefit from it.
  1. Clean air for environmental justice populations and all. Environmental Justice (EJ) populations — people of color, Indigenous people, low-income people, and limited English proficient speakers— are especially affected by air quality problems. Including air quality policy will improve indoor and outdoor air quality, especially for EJ populations and residents burdened by pollution from congested roadways and ports, gas stoves, and mold in rental housing. Policies should include updating the state sanitary code to require annual mold inspections and create clear timelines for remediating mold in rental housing; Setting and achieving ambitious air pollution reduction targets by 2030 and 2035; Requiring installation of air filters in existing eligible buildings, such as schools, residential buildings with more than 2 tenant-occupied units; Requiring advanced filtration systems (e.g.,MERV 16) for new eligible buildings, such as day care facilities, residential developments, hospitals, schools, long-term care facilities, school aged child care programs, temporary shelters, nursing homes; Expand outdoor air monitoring ultrafine particulate matter and black carbon in pollution hotspots identified by an advisory committee.
  1. End large scale gas pipeline expansion. The Commonwealth’s statutory mandate to reach net zero emissions by 2050 requires an orderly transition to clean  heat for buildings. Every new mile of high pressure pipeline installed is an expensive asset that will have to be paid off over decades by ratepayers or, if stranded, by taxpayers. Stopping the installation of these large scale pipeline expansions (more than 1 mile and more than 100 pounds per square inch), will improve public health and safety and reduce the future financial exposure of ratepayers and taxpayers. 
  1. Put gas companies on a path to provide clean, non-emitting renewable energy rather than fossil gas that leaks methane into the atmosphere and into our homes and businesses. Heating and cooling buildings contributes a third of the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions, mostly a result of burning gas. There are several important changes the Legislature can make to accelerate this transition to clean, non emitting energy.:
  1. Change the definition of gas company to allow  gas companies to sell non-emitting renewable thermal energy, such as networked geothermal systems. These systems are six times more efficient than conventional gas burners for heating buildings.
  2. Limit the expansion of new gas mains unless there are no feasible alternatives to gas that can provide substantially similar service, taking into account the public interest in meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates and in avoiding stranded assets, the cost of which will be borne by ratepayers.
  3. Permit gas companies to meet their “obligation to serve” by providing customers with adequate non-emitting renewable substitutes.
  4. Reform the current program (called GSEP) to encourage gas companies to repair or retire leak-prone pipelines, rather than replacing pipes that are projected to cost ratepayers some $34 billion between 2022 and 2039.  We should instead encourage gas companies to install non-emitting renewable sources of energy such as ground source heat pumps connected through  networked geothermal systems.
  5. Require gas companies to plan and implement an orderly, safe transition to non-emitting energy for heating buildings.
  1. Other Important Policies From Frontline Communities
    1. Require the MBTA to electrify the entire commuter rail system: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority should be required to develop and implement short-term, medium-term and long-term plans for each line of the commuter rail system, ensuring that the line is fully integrated into the Commonwealth’s transportation system and designed to make the system more productive, equitable and decarbonized. 
    2. Remove woody biomass from the alternative energy portfolio standard: Limiting the eligibility of woody biomass as an alternative energy supply removes ratepayer funded subsidies for toxic woody biomass by excluding large and intermediate-sized wood heating units from qualifying for credits through the Alternative Portfolio Standard (APS) and  is consistent with Governor Healey’s campaign platform. 
    3. Removing woody biomass from the greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants would close the “biomass loophole” for Municipal Light Plants (MLPs).  Last session, the legislature removed biomass power plants from qualifying for the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), with the passage of An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind.  Because the RPS does not apply to municipal light plants , incentives remain for developers to build and operate wood-burning power plants in the Commonwealth, using ratepayer “clean energy” subsidies, or even to purchase biomass energy from other New England states. 
    4. Establish Labor Standards and Reporting for Clean Energy Procurement: A special commission charged with assessing the  impacts on the fossil fuel workforce caused by public or private efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or transition from fossil fuels to clean energy will provide us with the necessary information to develop labor standards and to make thoughtful decisions to achieve a just transition to clean energy. 

These additions expand the impact of the pending climate bill, from a necessary expansion of the electric grid itself (crucial to bringing in the thousands of megawatts of renewable electricity we need) to ensure that Environmental Justice populations are not overburdened and to protect gas customers and taxpayers from the ballooning costs of maintaining an expensive and dangerous gas system that will soon be obsolete.  We hope the House will show strong support for environmental justice and rapid decarbonization, and adopt these recommendations.

The following organizations comprising most of the members of the MA Environmental Justice Table, Mass Power Forward coalition and Gas Transition Allies:

  1. 350 Central Mass
  2. 350 Mass of Greater Lowell
  3. 350 Mass
  4. 350 Mass Boston
  5. 350 Mass Berkshire Node
  6. 350 Mass Newton Node
  7. 350 Mass North Shore
  8. All In Energy
  9. Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE)
  10. Andover WECAN
  11. Arborway Coalition
  12. Arise for Social Justice
  13. Becket Energy Committee
  14. Berkshire Environmental Action Team
  15. Boston Clean Energy Coalition 
  16. Boston Climate Action Network (BCAN)
  17. Boston Green Action
  18. Boston Harbor Storm Surge Working Group
  19. Boston Teachers Union Climate Justice Committee, Steering Committee*
  20. Breathe Easy Berkshires
  21. Brimmer and May Environmental Club
  22. Brookhaven Residents’ Climate Change Committee
  23. Canton Democratic Town Committee 
  24. Canton Sustainable Equitable Future
  25. Cape Ann Climate Coalition Organizing Committee
  26. Centro Presente
  27. Chase Systems
  28. Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Mass. North Shore Chapter
  29. Citizens Climate Lobby South Shore & Cape chapter
  30. Clean Water Action Massachusetts
  31. Climate Action Group, the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence
  32. Climate Action Now Western Mass
  33. Climate Code Blue
  34. Climate Reality Project Boston Metro chapter
  35. Climate Reality Project Massachusetts Southcoast
  36. Coalition For Social Justice
  37. Conservation Law Foundation
  38. Elders Climate Action Mass chapter
  39. Energy Allies
  40. Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative (FICC)
  41. First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Climate Action Working Group
  42. First Parish in Bedford
  43. First Parish in Cambridge
  44. First Parish of Concord Environmental Team
  45. First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton Climate Action Task Force
  46. Food & Water Watch
  47. Fore River Residents Against Compressor Station (FRRACS)
  48. Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution- Climate Crisis Task Force
  49. Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
  50. Green Energy Consumers Alliance
  51. Green Newton
  52. Green Sanctuary Committee of FPUU Medfield
  53. GreenRoots
  54. H.E.R.O. Nurturing Center Inc
  55. HEET
  56. HEETlabs
  57. Jewish Climate Action Network
  58. Lexington Climate Action Network (LexCAN)
  59. LISC Massachusetts
  60. Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group
  61. Massachusetts Climate Action Network
  62. Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light, Inc.
  63. Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition
  64. Melrose UU Church Climate Action Team
  65. Mothers Out Front Acton
  66. Mothers Out Front Amherst
  67. Mothers Out Front Arlington
  68. Mothers Out Front Bedford Chapter
  69. Mothers Out Front Brookline
  70. Mothers Out Front Cambridge
  71. Mothers Out Front Concord
  72. Mothers Out Front Downtown Boston
  73. Mothers Out Front East Boston
  74. Mothers Out Front Jamaica Plain
  75. Mothers Out Front Massachusetts
  76. Mothers Out Front Medford 
  77. Mothers Out Front Newton
  78. Mothers Out Front Northampton
  79. Mothers Out Front Somerville
  80. Mothers Out Front Waltham
  81. Mothers Out Front West Roxbury/Roslindale/Hyde Park chapter
  82. Mothers Out Front Winthrop
  83. Mt. Hope Canterbury Neighborhood Association
  84. Mystic Valley Progressives
  85. No Fracked Gas in Mass
  86. North Parish UU Climate Justice Group
  87. Our Climate
  88. Our Revolution MA (ORMA) Climate Crisis Working Group
  89. Partnership for Policy Integrity
  90. Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast
  91. Progressive Massachusetts
  92. Renewable Renegades
  93. Resist the Pipeline
  94. Resonant Energy
  95. Sierra Club Massachusetts
  96. Slingshot
  97. South Coast Neighbors United
  98. Speak for the Trees, Boston
  99. Springfield Climate Justice Coalition
  100. Springfield No One Leaves
  101. Sunwealth
  102. Sustainable Wellesley
  103. The Enviro Show
  104. Third Act Massachusetts
  105. Trustees Collaborative for Parks & Open Space
  106. Union of Concerned Scientists
  107. Unitarian Universalist Association of Greater Springfield
  108. Unitarian Universalist Mass Action
  109. Vote Solar
  110. Watertown Faces Climate Change (a node of 350Mass)
  111. Worcester Congregations for Climate and Environmental Justice
  112. ZeroCarbonMA

Our First 2024 Legislative Endorsements

The Massachusetts state primary is Tuesday September 3​, the day after Labor Day. That’s 10 weeks and 1 day away. And that will go by fast. 

In April, our Elections and Endorsements Committee began sending our comprehensive policy questionnaire to candidates running in contested races for MA House and MA Senate. We view these questionnaires as a vital opportunity to educate candidates about issues that matter to progressive voters, get candidates on record, and create a more informed and engaged electorate. ​Read questionnaires we’ve received for legislative and other races so far here.​​

The Committee reviewed them in May, interviewed candidates, and deliberated to make a first round of recommendations. And then we surveyed our members because, as an organization committed to democracy, all of our endorsements must ultimately be approved by our members​

So we are proud to share our first endorsements for the 2024 cycle. Read more about them below. 

~2024 Endorsements ~

Arielle Faria for Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket

Arielle Reid Faria is a housing champion who serves as the Managing Director of the Island Housing Trust and the co-chair of the Coalition to Create a Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank, a key part of the statewide coalition for a local option real estate transfer fee. She brings important lived experience, a strong organizing background, and a passion for increasing civic engagement in the district and beyond. Learn more at https://www.ariellefaria.com/.

Leigh Davis for 3rd Berkshire

Leigh Davis is a housing champion, a former union member, and an environmentalist who serves on the Great Barrington Select Board. She has been a key voice in building Western Mass support for a local option real estate transfer fee and in passing policies to address the housing crisis locally, and demonstrates a strong commitment to fighting for the underserved. Learn more at https://www.leighdavis.org/.

Heather May for 9th Middlesex

Heather May is an educator at Emerson College and a community activist in Waltham. Having been active in the push to unionize non-tenured faculty, she understands the value of organizing, and she is running on strong progressive policies and the need for systemic change in the MA House. We endorsed Heather in 2022 and are proud to do so again. Learn more at https://www.heatherforwaltham.com/.


Bill Humphrey for 12th Middlesex

Bill Humphrey is a third-term Newton City Councilor, the former chair of Progressive Newton, and an outspoken advocate for workers’ rights, public education, affordable housing, transit equity, and climate action. He has shown a willingness to fight for his principles on the Council and understands the importance of building coalitions whether inside or outside of the halls of power to advance progressive policy. Learn more at https://www.billhumphrey.org/.


Evan MacKay for 25th Middlesex

Evan McKay is a union leader, pro-democracy organizer, and scholar of the criminal legal system. They were a part of the successful recent effort to democratize the UAW, making it a bolder and more responsive union, and are running to advocate for a more progressive and responsive State House that views activists as partners in advancing a shared vision. Learn more at https://www.evanforcambridge.com/.

​

Erika Uyterhoeven for 27th Middlesex

Erika Uyterhoeven has been a reliable progressive ally at the State House. She has been a vocal champion of such issues as tax fairness, worker’s rights, housing justice, climate action, and decarceration, and she is a forward-thinking policymaker eager to learn about innovative policy ideas and approaches and seed them into the debate. She is someone who has been willing to buck Leadership and stand by her principles, and she has leveraged her role as a state legislator to visit prisons and jails for oversight and accountability and to secure a commitment from the DOC to allow incarcerated individuals to testify virtually at the State House. Learn more at https://www.electerika.com/.

Erin Bradley for Norfolk, Plymouth & Bristol

Erin Bradly is a policy advocate and former State Senate staffer who has written policies that have benefited children and families across the Commonwealth. A member of the Select Board in Milton, she was a vocal supporter of MBTA Communities Act rezoning, and she has been active in building the bench of progressive women to run for office in Milton. Learn more at https://www.erinforstatesenate.com/.

News Roundup – June 16, 2024

Chris Lisinski, “Mass. House unanimously approves Parentage Equality Bill,” State House News Service, June 12.

“The bill , long a priority for civil rights and LGBTQ activists, would create new pathways and clearer standards for Bay Staters to establish parentage over a child through birth as well as other means such as adoption, surrogacy and marriage.”

Taylor Dolven, “MBTA budgets ‘totally incapable of getting us where we need to be,’ board member says,” Boston Globe, June 11.

“It’s very troubling to know we are struggling to even keep our head above water here,” said director Tom McGee. “We continue to get farther and farther behind.”

The Editorial Board, “No-heavy-lifting committees a symptom of a bigger problem in Beacon Hill,” Boston Globe, June 9.

“The Massachusetts system is out of control and so are its consequences — a Legislature where power is concentrated at the very top, debate is a thing of the past, and real democracy is a distant memory.”

Andrew Brinker, “A tax on high-dollar home sales had a clear path on Beacon Hill. Then the real estate industry stepped in.,” Boston Globe, June 7.

“What happened was what we knew was going to happen,” said Mark Martinez, who leads a coalition supporting the fee. “The real estate industry has come out in full force against the transfer fee and they are spreading misinformation. Simply put, they have a lot more money than we do. It’s challenging to battle that.”

Liza Featherstone, “Here’s How We Know That Vermont’s New Climate Law Will Work,” The New Republic, June 7.

“All these developments suggest that many policymakers know the value of the venerable polluter pays principle and are undaunted by the red tape of the looming right-wing judicial hellscape. Holding environmental perps accountable and incentivizing better behavior is still popular, practical, and possible.”

Michael Jonas, “Bill to allow campaign funds for childcare on the move,” CommonWealth Beacon, June 6.

“More than three decades later, Jehlen is pushing an election law change that would make it easier for parents of young children to run for office without shelling out lots of money or relying on the kindness of friends and family.”

Adrian Walker, “Do-nothing committees show the inner workings of the State House,” Boston Globe, June 4.

“It’s all a reflection of a seriously broken system. Committees traditionally have served a significant role as a starting point for significant legislation. Chairs of important committees had real juice. Hearings were an avenue for the public to be heard.”

Suchita Nayar, “Behind the battle for a full $15 minimum wage for restaurant servers,” Boston Globe, June 3.

“Knowing how much money you’re going to account for every week, no matter if it rains and the restaurant’s slow, that was super important,” said Galvis, who immigrated from Bogota, Colombia, when she was 15, and has lived in Boston since July 2023.

The Editorial Board, “Get ready for the Beacon Hill logjam,” Boston Globe, June 3.

“To an outsider, it can all seem a bit arcane — who really cares when the Legislature approves the state budget, for instance, as long as it does? But doing legislative business the same way college students write term papers has real drawbacks because it leads to rushed and secretive policymaking, keeps agencies that need to plan their own budgets waiting, and inevitably dooms some worthy legislation.”

Samantha Gross, “#MeToo exposed a history of sexual harassment in the Mass. House. A key position to address it has been empty for years.,” Boston Globe, June 2.

“While the mandatory harassment training is a welcome update, staff say, they remain troubled about leaders’ failure to act on the broader concern that if House staffers feel unsafe on Beacon Hill, the only people they can turn to for help work for the very lawmakers they might be complaining about.”

Travis Benson, “Dissecting the ‘toxic’ State House culture,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 25.

“There is a toxic culture in the State House, particularly in the House, stemming from the speaker’s consolidation of power, which trickles down to leadership, to rank-and-file reps, and, lastly, to the advocates and organizers themselves. The culture incentivizes a Stockholm syndrome-like relationship to power, where reps fall in line for crumbs from leadership, and advocates and organizations fall in line for access to the reps.”

Jared Nicholson and Dominick Pangallo, “As mayors, we need more tools to boost housing production,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 20.

“Cities like Lynn and Salem want to be active partners in the housing solutions our residents need, and that means statewide investments must be paired with the ability to generate local resources to help make that housing a reality. If communities like ours are not able to raise funds through tools like the transfer fee, we will continue to lack the ability to support the creation of affordable homes.”

Matt Stout, “‘Millionaires tax’ has already generated $1.8 billion this year for Massachusetts, blowing past projections,” Boston Globe, May 20.

“State officials said Monday that the voter-approved surtax on high earners has generated more than $1.8 billion in revenue this fiscal year — with still two months left to go — meaning state officials could have hundreds of millions of surplus dollars to spend on transportation and education initiatives.”

Jarred Johnson, “Troubling signs at Healey’s transportation funding task force,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 18.

We need leadership, not indecision. Voters are weary of endless options devoid of vision. If the task force merely presents a menu of choices without any recommendation, the administration can’t pretend to value competitiveness. We need “all of the above” solutions learned from the reports already written and from regions that have addressed deficits and have bold-funded visions for their transportation futures.

Taylor Dolven, “After decrying ‘disinvestment’ in the MBTA, proposals by Healey and the Legislature fail to fully fund the agency,” Boston Globe, May 12.

“For months, the cash-strapped transit agency has been warning that it needs about $600 million more than it has to cover its operating expenses for the fiscal year that starts in July. These funds pay for day-to-day operations, including wages and benefits for employees, fuel and supplies, the T’s contract with Keolis for commuter rail operations, and debt repayment for capital projects….But Healey’s proposal would provide just $172 million toward filling that gap. The House of Representatives’ proposal would give the agency $257 million, the Senate’s proposal just $157.5 million.”

Samantha Gross and Matt Stout, “A few Mass. Democrats put $5m into the budget for dog parks, a castle, and more. And they did it in secret.,” Boston Globe, May 9.

“And this all played out largely in secret. House leaders tucked the largesse into sweeping budget amendments assembled in a private,wood-paneled lounge down the hall from the House chamber….These stealth earmarks are not illegal; rather, they are a coveted, traditional perk of legislative heavyweights, allowing the most powerful to funnel money to hand-picked projects before other members or the voters who elected them realize it.”

Letter: “The ‘benefit,’ Mr. Speaker, is more affordable housing, including in wealthier areas”

Jan Soma, “The ‘benefit,’ Mr. Speaker, is more affordable housing, including in wealthier areas” (Letter), Boston Globe, May 22, 2024.

Matt Stout’s March 16 article describes House Speaker Ron Mariano’s reticence to embrace the real estate transfer fee portion of Governor Maura Healey’s housing bond bill. Mariano is quoted as saying that relatively wealthy communities would disproportionally benefit from a local real estate transfer fee. Let’s consider the benefits: As clearly stated in the governor’s proposal, transfer fee proceeds would be deposited in affordable housing trusts that use the funds solely for low- to moderate-income housing. The benefit is more housing opportunities in communities that all but the very wealthy can afford as well as in other communities.

We need affordable housing across the state, not just in enclaves that segregate residents by income. I applaud communities that want to be part of the housing shortage solution. I am proud to live in one. Housing funds from the Commonwealth are generally more available to communities that are struggling economically. If wealthier towns are willing to help share the financial burden through a transfer fee, doesn’t everyone win?

Jan Soma

Needham

The writer is on the steering committee of the Needham Housing Coalition.

PM in the News: Earmarks in the Senate Budget

Matt Stout and Samantha Gross, “$1.5m for a wedding venue and conference center. $250,000 for historic ships. Here’s what top Senate brass put into the budget.,” Boston Globe, May 17, 2024.

“It really is a fundamentally broken process where you have pet projects of specific legislators getting designated funding outside any kind of rationale or equitable analysis of whether or not that is a worthy use of public funds,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director for the group Progressive Massachusetts. The approach, he said, means that earmarks are doled out “not based on need, but rather on power and proximity to power.”

PM in the News: “Are Massachusetts politics on immigration changing? Strategists, activists weigh in”

Cassandra Dumay, “Are Massachusetts politics on immigration changing? Strategists, activists weigh in,” The Sun Chronicle, May 12, 2024.

Jonathan Cohn, policy director of the activist group Progressive Massachusetts, said Democrats who choose to “appease” “the most stridently anti-immigrant voter” pose a more important threat to their party than Republican campaigning.

“Too many Democrats have adopted a conservative framing of an increased number of immigrants and refugees as being a terrible burden — rather than viewing them as people who we should feel so blessed want to live here,” Cohn said. “The bigger issue is Democrats demoralizing their own base by abandoning them than Republicans being energized.”

PM in the News: “Healey’s No New Taxes Talk”

Gintautas Dumcius and Bruce Mohl, “Political Notebook: Healey’s no-new-taxes talk | Rollins pay adjustment | Who is Jeanne Louise?,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 3, 2024.

Jonathan Cohn, policy director for Progressive Massachusetts, said Healey’s “clichéd ‘no new taxes’ line is out of step with her own promises and the needs” of the state. He pointed to high child care costs, health insurance premiums, and traffic as forms of taxation that hit working and middle-class residents.

Progressive Mass 2024 Lobby Day

Join fellow activists from across the Commonwealth to build momentum for key progressive priorities on Beacon Hill!

We’ll be lobbying about key priorities from our Legislative Agenda, especially about affordable housing, criminal legal reform, and climate action.

We’re delighted to have with us as speakers:

  •     Mark Martinez from the Mass Law Reform Institute
  •     Sana Fadel from Citizens for Juvenile Justice
  •     Jess Nahigian from the Massachusetts Sierra Club

Whether you’ve lobbied before or are lobbying for the first time, we’ll make sure that you are well-prepared for meetings with your state legislators.

RSVP here!

Letter: Mass. Can Do More to Lower Housing Costs”

Green affordable housing

Marianne Rutter, “Letter: Mass. Can Do More to Lower Housing Costs,” Newburyport Daily News, April 12, 2024.

To the Editor:

It should come as no surprise to my fellow readers that Massachusetts has a housing crisis. To rent the average 2-bedroom apartment in Massachusetts requires an income equal to $41.64 per hour, more than twice the minimum wage.  Do the math yourself:  Coming up with monthly rent is a near impossibility in a two-earner household working $15/hour minimum-wage jobs, even if both wage-earners are holding down two jobs.

Home ownership has become increasingly out of reach, as the state’s median home price has passed $600,000.   In parts of our northeastern corner of the Commonwealth, the average home price today is 25% higher than that.

The Legislature needs to take action before the crisis gets worse. 

Governor Healey (who, let’s remember, hails from our part of the state), has shown leadership in responding to this crisis by introducing the Affordable Homes Act, which combines funding authorizations for various housing programs with important new policy measures for affordable housing.  One of the most exciting proposals is the real estate transfer fee local option. 

This would enable cities and towns to levy a small fee on large real estate transactions in order to create a dedicated revenue stream for affordable housing production and preservation. Cities and towns across the state have already expressed a desire to do so, and the state should let them and ensure that the local option is flexible enough for cities and towns across the state to benefit.

I am grateful that the housing crisis will be at the center of the Legislature’s attention this year.  I’m urging Senator Barry Finegold and Representatives Dawne Shand, Adrianne Ramos and Kristin Kassner to advocate actively for the strongest legislation possible. Massachusetts must be a place where people can afford to live at any stage of life, and the only way to make or keep that a reality is through good policy.

Marianne Rutter

Amesbury

Letter: Transfer fee could boost affordable housing

Green affordable housing

Rachel Roth, “Letter: Transfer fee could boost affordable housing,” Your Arlington, April 4, 2024.

I am stunned by how much the cost of housing in Arlington has increased since my family moved here about 20 years ago. Renovated upstairs units in two-family condos routinely list for $1 million, and to rent the average two-bedroom apartment, someone must earn $41.64 per hour, more than twice the minimum wage – and that’s for the entire state, not just high-cost areas like greater Boston.1

We are fortunate to have Reps. Dave Rogers and Michael Day fighting for housing security, such as the right to have an attorney when facing eviction, yet there is so much more to do, including in the governor’s housing bill, unveiled last October.

The bill would be improved by adding options for cities and towns to raise money with local real estate transfer fees or implement rent control. According to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, with a robust real estate transfer fee, Arlington could raise almost $8 million each year for affordable housing, and Winchester could raise over $9 million.2

I ask our reps to keep pushing for strong housing laws with both statewide commitments to adequate and affordable housing production and allowances for some locally tailored options as well.