This bill amends an existing law (Section 3F of Chapter 60) to expand assistance for veterans. It adds "legal" and "housing" to the list of services veterans can access through the current transportation assistance program. The change directly affects veterans in need who require support with legal issues or housing, integrating these services into the existing framework. It does not create new programs but modifies how current assistance is provided.
HD 1713 (An Act regularizing water rates for tenants) clarifies how water costs are billed in buildings with submeters. It requires landlords to calculate tenant bills by multiplying each tenant’s individual water usage by the municipal rate, rather than basing it on the entire building’s total usage. The bill also explicitly states that landlords must cover any additional water costs resulting from municipal rate increases tied to the building’s overall water consumption. This directly affects tenants in multi-unit buildings with submeters and their landlords. The law ensures tenants pay only for their individual usage and shields them from rate hikes caused by the building’s total water demand.
This bill establishes clear requirements for addressing pest infestations in rental housing. Tenants must provide written notice of infestations and allow landlords or licensed pest control professionals access (with 24-hour notice) to inspect and treat the unit. Landlords must inspect within 5 business days of notice, hire a certified pest control professional within 10 days, and complete treatments until the infestation is controlled, with a final inspection required 30 days after treatment. Landlords cannot be held liable for infestations if they comply with these steps, and they must verify units are pest-free before leasing new tenants.
HD 2664 requires Massachusetts' Department of Energy Resources to make solar incentive programs accessible to low-income renters and small businesses. It creates a verification process using income thresholds (80% of area median income or 200% of federal poverty level) or proof of participation in programs like Medicaid, SNAP, or housing assistance. The bill bans credit checks for eligibility, prohibits early termination fees for residential customers, and mandates monthly updates for solar credits. Multi-unit buildings qualifying as low-income housing (e.g., under Chapter 40B) are exempt from program limits like bill credit maximums.
This bill increases the deleading credit for rental property owners from $3,000 to $15,000 under Section 6(e) of Chapter 62. It directly affects rental property owners who remediate lead paint hazards in their units. The key provision is a simple monetary adjustment to the existing credit amount, making the remediation cost more affordable. The change applies to all qualifying rental housing units requiring lead paint removal. This is a straightforward funding adjustment with no additional requirements or new mechanisms.
HD 2932 creates a "whole home repairs program" to help homeowners and small landlords with essential home repairs. Homeowners with income at or below 80% of the area median income can receive grants (up to $50,000 per unit) for health/safety repairs, energy efficiency improvements, or accessibility modifications. Small landlords (owning ≤5 properties/15 units) can get loans (also capped at $50,000 per unit) for similar repairs on affordable rental units, with loan forgiveness possible if they maintain the property for 15 years, limit rent increases, and avoid serious violations. The program requires coordination with existing housing resources and includes funding for workforce development in home repair jobs.
This bill creates a task force to develop standards for identifying and fixing indoor air pollution and mold in schools, nursing homes, public housing, childcare centers, and other residential buildings. The task force, including health and environmental officials plus community representatives, must submit recommendations within one year, including public comment periods. It also requires the Department of Public Health to create new regulations by December 2026 for monitoring ultrafine particles and black carbon in indoor air, based on current health science. These rules will apply to both existing and new buildings, directly affecting residents and staff in the specified facilities.
HD 3016 requires Massachusetts to fund supportive care services for low-income seniors aged 55+ living in qualifying rental housing projects. It mandates the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to pay housing sponsors $2,500 annually per MassHealth enrollee residing in projects with at least 50 units, where MassHealth residents are the majority and cluster contracting with homecare agencies is in place. The law also requires annual reports to the legislature tracking the number of Medicaid recipients in these projects and cost savings from the cluster contracting model. This directly affects qualifying senior housing projects and their residents enrolled in MassHealth.
HD 2226 prohibits real estate landlords and their agents from using third-party services that algorithmically set rents or coordinate rent increases among landlords. It bans service providers from collecting rental data, analyzing it with algorithms, or recommending pricing terms to landlords, and prevents them from facilitating non-competition agreements between landlords. Violations are treated as unfair competition under existing antitrust laws, allowing tenants to pursue class-action lawsuits in court instead of being forced into arbitration. Successful plaintiffs can recover damages, interest, and legal costs, with the law explicitly invalidating pre-dispute arbitration agreements for these cases.
HD 3599 limits annual rent increases for seniors over 60 in private rental housing when their unit is sold to a new owner. It caps rent hikes at the lesser of the local Consumer Price Index change or 5% for five years, provided the tenant is on a public housing waitlist or agrees to apply. The law applies to most private rental units but excludes owner-occupied buildings with two units or less and units already regulated by public authorities. It requires cities/towns to ensure these stabilized units are available to seniors earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income.
