By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 962) of Brendan P. Crighton, Manny Cruz, Mike Connolly, Sal N. DiDomenico and others for legislation to promote Yes in My Back Yard. Housing.
By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 338) of Sal N. DiDomenico, Nick Collins and Michael O. Moore for legislation to promote high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction in all Massachusetts schools. Education.
Maddy summaryMassachusetts Bill SD 1573 establishes the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), providing rental assistance to low-income households (with 75% of vouchers targeted to households earning 30% or less of area median income) to help them afford decent, stable housing. The program sets payment standards at 100-110% of local market rent rates, limits tenant rent payments to 30% of income (with a temporary 40% exception), and requires unit inspections for safety compliance. It mandates annual data collection on voucher usage, including household demographics and location, to be reported to state legislators. The bill also sets a minimum $80 monthly administrative fee per voucher and ensures unspent funds carry over to the next fiscal year.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special commission to review Massachusetts' affordable housing efforts. The commission, consisting of three members appointed by the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker (all with housing expertise), will assess the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency's performance over the past five years specifically regarding affordable and low-income housing in gateway cities. The commission must complete its review within 30 days of the bill's effective date and submit a report with recommendations to the legislature within one year. This directly affects the Housing Finance Agency's operations and accountability for housing outcomes in designated gateway cities.
Senate, December 8, 2025 -- The committee on Housing to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1010) of Liz Miranda, Sal N. DiDomenico and Patricia D. Jehlen for legislation to create a permanent affordability homeownership program, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2762).
Maddy summarySD 988 creates a state program to fund permanently affordable homeownership units for low- and moderate-income buyers (defined as 70-120% of area median income). Administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the program requires units to remain affordable for at least 99 years and limits projects to 1-25 units, including within mixed-use developments. Funds can only support new homeownership units meeting income and affordability criteria. Annual reports will detail funded projects, grant amounts, units created, and affordability levels.
By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 219) of Sal N. DiDomenico for legislation relative to retailer-backed coupons. Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.
By Mr. Gómez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 62) of Adam Gómez and Homar Gómez for legislation to establish community fridges to address food insecurity. Agriculture.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts municipalities with over 5,000 residents to implement an automated "Smart Residential Solar Permitting Platform" by July 2027 for home solar installations. The platform must allow online applications, automatic code-compliant approvals within 10 business days (if no deficiencies are found), instant permit issuance, and eliminate manual reviews for residential systems under 200-amp capacity. It directly affects local governments and homeowners installing solar on single- or two-family homes, including systems with battery storage or panel upgrades. The law mandates that platforms process at least 75% of residential solar permits and requires annual reporting to track compliance.
Maddy summarySD 1771 establishes a statewide Access to Counsel Program in Massachusetts to provide free legal representation to low-income tenants and owner-occupants facing housing-related legal actions, such as evictions or termination of housing subsidies. Eligible individuals must qualify as indigent (e.g., receiving public assistance, earning ≤80% of area median income, or unable to afford legal fees without hardship). The program, funded by dedicated state appropriations and administered by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, requires landlords to provide a standardized form explaining legal aid eligibility to tenants. Designated nonprofit organizations will deliver full legal counsel through partner attorneys, with oversight from an advisory committee and a phased 5-year implementation.
