In August, Gov. Healey declared a state of emergency due to a shortage of shelters and affordable housing options. Now the governor is doubling down and released a multi-billion dollar plan to address affordable and state-run public housing.
The proposal outlines the plan to spend $4.12 billion, which is more than double the 2018 amount and the largest investment in Massachusetts history. Today there are 184,000+ people on the waitlist for state public housing.
Here’s what the money could do in the Bay State:
- The bill, as proposed, could help create, preserve, or improve 65,000 homes.
- It includes creating ~8,000 tiny homes, aka accessory dwelling units, that would be 900 sqft or less and could be attached to single-family zoning districts.
- The bond bill accounts for capital projects, including $1.6 billion to repair and modernize state-run public housing units across Massachusetts. This will help cut the list of outstanding repair projects in half.
- The proposal includes new line items, like $175 million for infrastructure projects to support denser housing development.
- The plan also places the largest investment in public housing units, with $1.6 billion designated for upgrades in 43,000 public housing units.