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H 4288

An Act relative to the inclusion of commercial fishermen as a designated vocation for affordable and attainable housing preference in the town of Chatham under Section 32, Seasonal Communities, Subsection (d), of the Affordable Homes Act

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Hadley Luddy

Permits Chatham to use existing affordable-housing funds to create, acquire, and preserve year-round housing for commercial fishermen, designating them as a targeted vocation.

Read second and ordered to a third reading
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Bill Summary · H 4288

Summary: H.4288 — An Act relative to the inclusion of commercial fishermen as a designated vocation for affordable and attainable housing in Chatham

Overview

H.4288 proposes to authorize the Town of Chatham to expend funds already designated for the creation, acquisition, and preservation of year-round affordable and attainable housing specifically for individuals whose vocation is Commercial Fishermen. The bill amends the scope of the Affordable Homes Act (Section 32, Seasonal Communities, Subsection (d)) to explicitly include commercial fishermen as a designated vocation in Chatham.

Purpose and Intent

  • Expand housing program eligibility in Chatham to explicitly cover commercial fishermen as a designated vocation for affordable housing.
  • Allow local funds, previously authorized under the Affordable Homes Act, to be used to support year-round housing for commercial fishermen in Chatham.
  • Preserve local control by enabling Chatham to prioritize housing for a key local industry.

Key Provisions

  • Section 1: Notwithstanding existing purposes for affordable housing funds and prior vocation designations under the Affordable Homes Act, Section 32(d), the Town of Chatham may expend designated funds for the acquisition, creation, and preservation of year-round affordable and attainable housing for individuals whose vocation is Commercial Fishermen.
  • Section 2: Takes effect upon passage.

Affected Parties and Scope

  • Geographic scope: Town of Chatham, Massachusetts.
  • Beneficiaries: Commercial fishermen employed in Chatham or identified by the town as eligible through the designated-vocation housing preference.
  • Local government role: Chatham is empowered to allocate and use funds for the specified housing purposes for this vocation.

Procedural & Timeline Details

  • Introduced: July 16, 2025.
  • Filed/House Docket: No. 4288 (House Docket No. 4881).
  • Status actions: Referred to the Committee on Housing (July 16, 2025); Senate concurrence noted (July 21, 2025); Hearing scheduled for November 10, 2025 (Written Testimony Only, 12:00 PM).
  • Effective date: Immediate upon passage.

Fiscal/Funding Considerations

  • The bill provides a local empowerment clause rather than creating new funding. It allows Chatham to use existing funds designated for acquisition, creation, and preservation of year-round affordable housing to prioritize commercial fishermen.
  • No new appropriation or statewide funding increase is specified.

Relationship to Existing Law

  • Builds on the Affordable Homes Act (Chapter 150 of the Acts of 2024), specifically Section 32, Seasonal Communities, Subsection (d), by adding a new designated-vocation category for a specific town (Chatham) and vocation (Commercial Fishermen).

Potential Impacts

  • Enables targeted housing development and preservation for commercial fishermen in Chatham.
  • May influence housing supply dynamics in Chatham by prioritizing a local industry workforce.
  • Maintains local control over housing decisions within the established framework of the Affordable Homes Act.

Notes

  • Related Bill: HD 4881 is noted as replacing this measure in the docket context.
  • The hearing is scheduled for Written Testimony Only.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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