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S 983

Relates to authorizing angling by a single individual with up to three lines in freshwater

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Tom O'Mara and 1 co-sponsor

Create a statewide center to promote and fund resident-owned housing cooperatives, directing $100M to acquire, preserve, and expand cooperative housing for low/moderate-income hous

SUBSTITUTED BY A8161
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Bill Summary · S 983

Summary — S 983 (2025): "An Act to promote housing cooperatives"

Note: the bill metadata supplied contains inconsistent items (an unrelated angling title and some federal-looking sponsor names). The official bill text and filing information below are for a Massachusetts senate bill presented by Senator James B. Eldridge (with Joanne M. Comerford listed as petitioner). The summary that follows is of the Massachusetts bill text filed as Senate No. 983 (2025).

Purpose

Create a permanent statewide office and funding to expand, preserve and support resident-owned housing cooperatives — with emphasis on low- and moderate-income households — across Massachusetts.

Key provisions

  • Establishes the Massachusetts Center for Housing Cooperatives within the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC).
    • Mission: education, outreach, research, promotion, facilitation and technical assistance to expand cooperative resident ownership; preserve and increase cooperatively owned properties; publicize cooperative benefits; and provide grants under Chapter 40H.
    • Focus: prioritizes promotion of cooperatives for low- to moderate-income people.
  • Director
    • A full‑time director, appointed by and reporting to the EOHLC secretary.
    • Powers to hire staff, appoint committees/task forces, contract consultants/advisors.
    • Authority to accept gifts/grants and deposit them in a dedicated, non‑reverting “Massachusetts Center for Housing Cooperatives Fund” in the state treasury for expenditure in accordance with gift/grant conditions.
    • Authority to issue rules, regulations and procedures governing applications and service delivery.
    • Must file an annual report to the clerks of the House and Senate, including an inventory of housing cooperatives and activities to support transitions to cooperative ownership.
  • Funding and programs
    • Commonwealth to appropriate $100,000,000 in FY2026 as a reserve to promote housing cooperatives for low- and moderate-income people.
    • Funds may be used to acquire real estate to establish cooperatives, preserve/rehabilitate existing cooperatives, and meet capital needs.
    • Programs to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) directly or through one or more of: Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency; Massachusetts Housing Partnership; Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC); and ROC USA Capital.
    • DHCD must, within 180 days of the act’s effective date, report to the House and Senate Ways & Means Committees and the Joint Committee on Economic Development & Emerging Technologies with recommendations for creating and preserving housing cooperatives.

Who is affected

  • Low- and moderate-income residents as primary beneficiaries.
  • Local governments, nonprofit developers, cooperative associations and financing intermediaries (MassHousing, MHP, CEDAC, ROC USA Capital) involved in cooperative development, preservation, acquisition, and rehabilitation.
  • State housing agencies (EOHLC, DHCD) will administer programs and oversight.

Legislative/procedural status

  • Introduced in the Massachusetts Senate (James B. Eldridge) — filed 1/13/2025, read twice and referred to Committee on Finance (3/12/2025).
  • House concurred (date listed 2/27/2025 in provided record); multiple committee actions and scheduling noted.
  • Substituted by A8161 (6/4/2025) — indicates companion/substitute legislation in the House (A8161) superseded or replaced this Senate filing. Consult A8161 for the latest enacted/active language.

Practical impact

If enacted, the bill would create a centralized state unit to promote cooperative housing and inject significant one‑time capital ($100M) to acquire, preserve, rehabilitate and capitalize cooperative housing serving low‑ and moderate‑income households. The new center would provide technical assistance, coordinate partners and offer grant-making capacity to expand resident control of housing.

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

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