ACTION ALERT: Ask Your State Legislators to Help Include Zoning Reform in the Economic Development Bill

There are only a few days left for the Legislature to pass the Economic Development Bill with zoning reforms that will help create more homes in Massachusetts!
 
Please call or email your State Representative and Senator TODAY to ask them to speak with House Speaker Mariano and Senate President Spilka about including zoning reform in the Economic Development Bill!

You can use the following script in your message to your legislators:
 
As your constituent, I ask that you please speak with House Speaker Mariano and Senate President Spilka about including zoning reform in the final Economic Development Bill. These zoning reforms, which should at least include Housing Choice passed by both the House and Senate, will make it easier to create homes that are affordable in our community. We need to pass these reforms now to help everyone have a safe, healthy, and affordable home!
 
As always, thank you for your advocacy! More information on the Economic Development Bill is included below.
 

The Massachusetts House and Senate are currently negotiating a final Economic Development Bill. The Legislature must agree to a final bill and send it to the Governor before the next legislative session begins on January 6, 2021.  
 
In July, the House and Senate both passed Economic Development Bills with many important zoning reforms and housing-related sections. By including these sections, the Legislature made clear that housing is critical to our economic development and recovery. These reforms will also begin to undo exclusionary zoning and help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live in the community of their choice.
 
The House and Senate both included Housing Choice provisions in their Economic Development Bills. The Senate also included additional provisions that would require multifamily zoning in communities served by the MBTA, abutter appeals reforms, and state-wide affordable housing production goals.
 
The final Economic Development Bill should at least include the Housing Choice provisions passed by both the House and Senate. Enacting Housing Choice now would be a meaningful step towards meeting the Commonwealth’s housing needs. This would also allow us to work next session on additional needed zoning reforms that will help ensure that Massachusetts has homes affordable to all, regardless of income!

Thank you again and Happy New Year!