The government affairs team with the help of REALTORS® from across the Commonwealth worked diligently over the past few years to support legislation to bolster the real estate industry and economy as well as defeat efforts that would have a negative impact. Check out these accomplishments in the areas of housing production, housing cost, and professional excellence, below:

HOUSING PRODUCTION – Increase supply to address the significant housing shortage and improve affordability across income levels.

Prevent Frivolous Zoning Appeals – added bonding requirements for zoning appeals in statute, providing a tool for judges to address frivolous suits and decrease development costs. Successfully argued that the statute should apply to Chapter 40B affordable housing developments as an amici before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Starter Home Zoning Districts – will promote the creation of smaller homes on smaller lots, perfect for workforce housing, first time homebuyers, and seniors who want to age in their communities.

MBTA Communities and Housing Choices – MAR has assisted local involvement supporting both of these recently enacted laws, which help communities  improve zoning to better accommodate smart growth and transit-oriented development.

HOUSING COST – Addressing the housing shortage remains the best way to increase affordability. However, MAR continues to work on other avenues to tackle this aspect of the housing crisis.

Significant funding increases for housing and related services including most recently $600 million in ARPA funds in 2021, $450 million in the 2022 economic development bill, and a $180 million year-over-year increase in housing assistance program line items in the FY2023 budget.

MAR successfully defended against dozens of bills that would decrease housing production and increase costs including rent control, transfer taxes, tenant’s opportunity to purchase,

MAR prevented proposed weakening two policies that have revolutionized housing in the state and continue to play an outsized rule due to local NIMBYism:

Chapter 40B which allows local zoning boards of appeals to issue permits with greater flexibility for affordable housing projects in communities  of need.

Community Preservation Act (CPA) which has raised nearly three billion dollars for municipal coffers including over $761 million for affordable housing.

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE – REALTORS® strive to provide their clients with excellence in real estate practice. In addition to requirements under license law, they are bound by a Code of Ethics which holds them to high standards of competency, fairness, and integrity. But there is always room for improvement and all real estate licensees can do better.

Fair Housing Education – succeeded in advancing a brand-new bill that creates the first baseline for fair housing education in pre-licensing courses and a first-ever continuing education fair housing requirement for all licensees, assuring that all real estate agents and brokers understand and uphold fair housing law.

Land Court Standing Order 2-21 – empowers the Registry of Deeds and Land Court to take a more proactive role in eliminating discriminatory language in deeds known as restrictive covenants which were historically used to limit property transfers based on certain characteristics such as race or religion. Though they are not enforceable today, they remain an unwelcome disturbance for our members and their clients in the home buying process.