Major Massachusetts housing law aims to build or save 65,000 multifamily and single-family homes

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently signed far-reaching legislation to boost housing production and address the high cost of housing in the Bay State.

The Affordable Homes Act aims to build or save 65,000 homes through $5.1 billion in spending and 49 policy initiatives. The legislation allows accessory dwelling units (ADUs) statewide, supports commercial-to-housing conversions, and provides incentives for affordable housing construction.

The act is “an unprecedented investment in modernizing the state’s public housing system,” according to a news release from the governor’s office. It also boosts programs that support first-time homebuyers and homeownership, provides incentives to build more housing for low to moderate-income residents, and supports sustainable and green housing initiatives.

ADUs under 900 sf will be allowed by right on single-family lots. This new policy replaces a patchwork of zoning regulations across the state with a uniform law that allows homeowners on single-family lots to add these small units without needing a special permit or variance unless they want to add more than one.

The U.S. is ill-prepared to provide adequate housing for the growing ranks of older people, according to a report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Over the next decade, the U.S. population older than 75 will increase by 45%, growing from 17 million to nearly 25 million, with many expected to struggle financially.

Yale University breaks ground on the nation's largest Living Building student housing complex

University Buildings | Dec 8, 2023

Yale University breaks ground on nation's largest Living Building student housing complex

A groundbreaking on Oct. 11 kicked off a project aiming to construct the largest Living Building Challenge-certified residence on a university campus. The Living Village, a 45,000 sf home for Yale University Divinity School graduate students, “will make an ecological statement about the need to build in harmony with the natural world while training students to become ‘apostles of the environment’,” according to Bruner/Cott, which is leading the design team that includes Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Andropogon Associates.

Almost a million apartment units are currently under construction in the U.S., says Apartment List.

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7 key predictions for the 2024 multifamily rental housing market

2024 will be the strongest year for new apartment construction in decades, says Apartment List's chief economist.

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New York City aims to spur construction of more accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

To address a serious housing shortage, New York City is trying to get more homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The city recently unveiled a program that offers owners of single-family homes up to nearly $400,000 to construct an apartment on their property.