Written By Mike Kriesberg
Wednesday was a big day on Beacon Hill as the House of Representatives passed H.5562 – An Act Relative to Economic Development in the Commonwealth by a vote of 148-2. This bill is the House’s version of the Mass WINS Act filed by Governor Healey in April, and authorizes over $500 million in spending along with a slew of policies designed to stimulate new housing production and economic growth across the Commonwealth. While there are several important provisions in this bill, we are particularly excited to see that Yes in God’s Backyard (YIGBY) and the codification of site plan review are included in the final bill.
We are grateful to House Speaker Ronald Mariano, House Majority Leader Michael Moran, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, House Housing Committee Chair Richard Haggerty, Representative Andy Vargas, and Representative Kristin Kassner for their leadership in advancing these policies and recognizing that housing production is essential to the Commonwealth’s long-term economic success.
I also would like to thank our partners CHAPA, JALSA, and NAIOP for their leadership regarding these two policies. Without their advocacy, we would not be in this position today.
Yes in God’s Backyard
Yes in God’s Backyard or YIGBY for short, is a policy that would allow faith-based institutions to build multi-family housing by-right on land they already own. According to an analysis by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, more than 4,850 parcels owned by faith-based institutions in Massachusetts have the potential to support new housing. By opening up this land for new, affordable homes, YIGBY is a critical tool in helping us address our housing shortage and making Massachusetts more affordable.
Under the version passed by the House, at least 20% of homes must be income-restricted, and projects may be built up to 45 feet in height unless local zoning allows taller buildings. YIGBY builds on the success of the Affordable Homes Act, which legalized accessory dwelling units statewide, by making it easier to create additional homes in communities across Massachusetts. To learn more about YIGBY, visit CHAPA’s website.
Site Plan Review
Site plan review is generally understood to be the process for determining whether a proposed development, like new housing conforms to local regulations, such as those set by the Fire or Health Departments. However, because Massachusetts law does not define the process or establish minimum standards, municipalities have developed widely varying procedures that often create unnecessary delays, uncertainty, and opportunities to obstruct housing projects. The language included in the economic development bill closes this gap; it establishes a clear definition for site plan review, sets timelines and appeals processes, and creates guardrails to ensure that site plan review is not misused to stop new construction.
What Comes Next
Now that the House has passed the bill, our attention turns to the Senate, which is expected to release its own version of the economic development bill in the coming weeks.
Our policy priorities for the Senate bill are:
- Add meaningful parking reform; and
- Preserve the House’s YIGBY & site plan review provisions
Following our Lobby Day in May, we evaluated our policy agenda and identified parking reform as the strongest policy priority with a chance of passing this session. We are advocating for legislation that would eliminate minimum parking requirements within one-half mile of public transit while capping minimum parking mandates at one space per home in most other locations. Across the country, states are increasingly embracing parking reform as a proven strategy to lower housing costs, encourage new home construction, and create healthier, more walkable communities. In recent years, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and most recently North Carolina have all enacted statewide parking reforms. We believe Massachusetts is poised to be next.
Right now, we are connecting with our Senate partners to assess the path forward for parking reform and determine the most effective advocacy strategy. We will be in touch in the coming days with opportunities to take action.
In the meantime, we encourage you to:
- Thank your State Representative for supporting this pro-housing economic development bill.
- Review our parking reform one-pager to learn why parking flexibility is one of the most impactful housing reforms the Legislature can pass this session.