An Act providing for tenant representation on the Great Barrington Housing Authority board

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Leigh Davis

Allows a Sheffield tenant to serve on the Great Barrington Housing Authority board under existing Chapter 121B rules, enabling formal tenant representation.

Senate concurred

Bill overview

Bill: H 5554

Session: 194th (Massachusetts)

Title: An Act providing for tenant representation on the Great Barrington Housing Authority board

Purpose: Allow a tenant resident from the town of Sheffield to serve on the Great Barrington Housing Authority (GBHA) board, whether appointed or elected, with the same requirements that apply to other GBHA board members under existing law.

Main purpose and intent

Create a formal pathway for tenant representation on the GBHA board by authorizing a single resident of Sheffield to serve as a board member.

This appointment or election would be governed by the standard provisions in Chapter 121B (public housing authorities) as they apply to board membership, with the specific exception noted in the bill.

Key provisions and changes

Amended law: Chapter 26 of the Acts of 2018 is amended to add a new subsection (c).

Subsection (c) states:

A single resident of the town of Sheffield may serve as either an appointed or elected member of the GBHA board.
Such appointment or election is subject to all other provisions of section 5 and section 5A of Chapter 121B.

Important nuance: This effectively creates an explicit representation rule for Sheffield residents on GBHA, ensuring they can participate on the board in accordance with existing governance rules.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiary: Tenants and residents of the Great Barrington Housing Authority, specifically a tenant from Sheffield who could be appointed or elected to the GBHA board.

GBHA and its governance: Would operate under current Massachusetts housing authority board rules, with the added provision that a Sheffield resident can hold a seat.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Action history:

2026-06-01: Referred to the committee on House Rules
2026-07-01: Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Housing
2026-07-02: Senate concurred

Status: The bill has progressed through committee referrals and received Senate concurrence as of the latest action.

Sponsor and support: Prime sponsors include Rep. Leigh Davis (Great Barrington) and Sen. Paul W. Mark, with Davis listed as a co-sponsor.

Potential impacts and considerations

Representation: Establishes a formal mechanism for Sheffield tenant representation on the GBHA board, potentially improving tenant input in housing authority decisions.

Governance alignment: The seat would follow existing Chapter 121B board appointment/election processes, ensuring consistency with other housing authority governance rules.

Scope: The provision is specific to the Great Barrington Housing Authority; it does not automatically apply to other housing authorities or towns.

If you’d like, I can provide a brief comparison to how tenant representation works in other Massachusetts housing authorities or outline potential implementation steps for GBHA if the bill becomes law.