Is this the best housing bill on the East Coast?

A look at the new Massachusetts housing package

Housing I photographed in Cambridge, Mass.

While the affordable housing crisis has hit both coasts, West Coast states have been traditionally much more aggressive in creating statewide housing reforms. Last year California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of 56 housing bills designed to increase access to housing and housing production. Zoning reforms in Montana have been nicknamed The Montana Miracle because of their impact on mitigating price appreciation and housing supply issues.

By contrast, the Northeast often feels like it’s lacking sweeping housing bills. I live in Pennsylvania and the most significant housing legislation I can think of in the past few years is a Whole-Home Repairs program, which is an essential support for homeowners but far from the kind of comprehensive housing package the state deserves.

But in 2024, we’ve seen some movement on the East Coast. Rhode Island and New York are committing hundreds of millions to housing production. Maryland and New Jersey have passed some legislation that addresses discrimination and affordability. 

And this week Massachusetts passed a housing package that might be the best on the East Coast. Some housing advocates would find my rhetoric about the housing bill overblown. They called it underwhelming. The bill did not include a proposed transfer tax on properties exceeding $1 million, the revenue from which would fund affordable housing. An effort to shift the cost of brokers’ fees to landlords instead of tenants failed. A lot got left on the cutting room floor.

But, as I’ll explore below the paywall, there are four good reasons this package totaling more than $5 billion in spending is impressive, including ADUs, public housing, a revolving fund, and a carve-out for the state’s seasonal communities.