An Act promoting geographic equity in state-funded housing development

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Natalie Blais and 2 co-sponsors

Requires the state housing office to track geographic equity in funding (2025–2029) and publish detailed public reports by municipality and county through 2035.

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

Overview

H 1471, introduced February 27, 2025, seeks to promote geographic equity in housing development funded by the Commonwealth. The bill directs the executive office of housing and livable communities (EOHLC) to incorporate geographic equity into planning and to systematically track and report on how state housing funds are distributed across municipalities and counties from 2025 through 2029, with public reporting through 2035.

Key Provisions

Section 1 — Planning and scoring criteria

Amends existing law to require that, when developing housing plans, the executive office ensure that scoring criteria used in plan development effectively promote geographic equity. This affects how projects are prioritized and funded within the state-funded housing system.

Section 2 — Geographic equity reporting (2025–2029)

EOHLC, in collaboration with all quasi-public agencies that fund housing, must track and report on geographic equity for expenditures under Chapter 150 of the acts of 2024, and for any low- or no-interest loans, grants, subsidies, credit enhancements, and other financial assistance for housing development/production.
Mandatory reporting period: January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2029.
Required data (per municipality and per county):
Total and per-capita number of housing projects produced with state financial assistance.
Unit mix: total housing units, accessible units, bedroom sizes, affordability, and total cost per unit.
Totals of housing units and accessible units by municipality/county.
Totals by rent vs. ownership and by affordability restrictions (including type and level of restrictions).
Total state financial assistance for each project, with a breakdown by funding program and agency/quasi-public agency.
County-level totals of state financial assistance.
Public availability and privacy:
Interim report due March 1, 2028; final report due March 1, 2035.
Reports must be posted on the EOHHLC website.
Unit-level data shall not be publicly posted for projects with fewer than 3 units.

Timing and Legislative Process

Status: Reported favorably by committee and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Introduced: February 27, 2025.

Notable actions: Hearing scheduled and extensions noted; bill progresses through the standard committee and budget-related steps.

Sponsors:

Primary: Natalie M. Blais
Co-sponsors: Mindy Domb, Joanne M. Comerford

Related bill: HD 2735 (replaces)

Who is Affected

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) and quasi-public housing agencies (e.g., Affordable housing financiers)

Municipalities and counties receiving state housing funding

Housing developers and owners receiving state aid or financing

The public, via annual and final data reports on geographic equity

Potential Impact

Promotes more equitable geographic distribution of housing investments.

Enhances transparency and accountability through detailed, publicly accessible reporting.

May increase administrative workload for EOHLC and partner agencies due to expanded data collection and reporting requirements.

Provides a data-driven basis for future policy adjustments to address imbalances in housing development funding.

Bill