BILL HUMPHREY

Green New Deal for climate action (electrification, waste reduction, and flooding resilience), housing production (zoning) and affordability (expanded financing options), and public transit reliability (working with the T and Healy Administration to support more funding for deferred maintenance and staffing levels). These three issues are closely intertwined. My strategy for advancing legislation – based on not only my Council experience but also my three years of work lobbying for LGBTQ rights in the Delaware legislature – is always to combine working closely with advocacy and constituency organizations (to mobilize grassroots public pressure) and building relationships within the body to work in coalition with others. With how slow and opaque the legislature has been, especially on the Governor’s proposals, public groundswells and media attention seem like a key strategy.

Please check out my platform to learn more about the many other priorities I have: www.billhumphrey.org/issues-overview

RICK LIPOF

Housing crisis/Transportation/Climate:  All are connected. Affordability is most urgent, but the missing middle units for downsizing and our children to remain in district must be addressed.  New units for businesses to attract employees, retain those who want to stay here and to promote less commuting.  The MBTA will be a major focus.  I would make it my goal to finally attain the funds to renovate our 3 commuter stations.

Education:  A focus on education would be a top priority.  Increasing Ch. 70 funds and attaining MSBA funds are a top priority.  Working with our DC Delegation I would look for every dollar to support our schools with a keen focus on special education.

Fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate:  Whether it’s the rise in antisemitic hate crimes or Asian hate incidences during the pandemic, I will stand with any segment of our community against hate and intolerance.  

ALEX JABLON

As a progressive Democrat and a YIMBY, the number one priority for me has to be addressing the housing and cost of living crisis in both Newton and Massachusetts as a whole. Removing barriers and increasing incentives for more affordable housing in order to increase supply has to be a top priority for any legislator. The second is fully funding our schools and our public transit. The last is providing more transparency and oversight in government. As an auditor by trade, I think this is an area I can make a large impact in, as I have spent my career managing large budgets and providing much needed oversight. This is one area Massachusetts is typically ranked amongst the bottom five states, and we can do better. 

AMY MAH SANGIOLO

Addressing the Climate Crisis, Housing, and Improving Public Transportation 

RICK LIPOF

I would increase per pupil spending, invest in upgrading facilities, technology and learning tools.  I would advocate for competitive salaries to attract and retain high-quality teachers and fund professional development programs.  I would fight to fund the expansion of Pre-K to ensure accessibility for all.  In higher education I would provide funding to reduce tuition fees to make higher education more affordable.  I would advocate to establish programs for low-income and underrepresented students to increase access to higher education.

For Transportation I would advocate for the funds to be used for repair and maintenance of the MBTA, for our bridges that are in dire need of repair and for our roads. I would look to highway improvement programs and new projects, whatever modernizes our entire system.  I would also invest and encourage all forms of alternative transportation including bike lanes, pedestrian paths and other infrastructure that supports sustainable transportation options.  

BILL HUMPHREY

As someone who supported the Fair Share Amendment, I was glad to see how the Legislature allocated funding for education so far, which included $150 million for K-12 (green) school construction projects, $69 million for universal free school meals (which allowed Newton to get competitive vendor bids for the first time in many years), $70.5 million on childcare, $109 million in financial aid to public college students, and $50 million to make community colleges tuition-free. We’re going to need to keep expanding our public higher education capacity (staff and facilities). Chapter 70 K-12 funding and MSBA funding also need to be increased moving forward.

On transportation, the focus so far has largely been on urgently needed road and bridge maintenance across the state, but we need to prioritize rail-based infrastructure at least equally to road-based infrastructure, both in catch-up maintenance and expansion. Rail electrification will be key to many goals. 

AMY SANGIOLO

The voter approved “millionaires tax” requires that funds are spent on education and transportation. As your state representative, I will prioritize directing funds to programs and services that target our underserved population through continued investments in education and transportation. Specifically, this means investing in early childhood education, free tuition for community colleges, mental health support for our children and educators, fare-free transit for low-income MBTA riders, continued improvements to our transit system to increase frequency and reliability, expand service throughout the commonwealth, make accessibility improvements, and electrify our public transit system.

ALEX JABLON

I was a bit dismayed to see that the progress we made with passing Fair Share was a bit negated by the tax cuts and led to a foreseeable budget shortfall. Priorities of mine would be to spend the fair share money on electrification of the T, expanding commuter rail (including east west line and expanding access to the cape), expanding safe biking and walking infrastructure and expansion of EV charging infrastructure. On the education side, we need to invest in heavily needed capital projects (such as facility repairs) that are long overdue, increase state funding to our state universities, invest in our students to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed, as well as our teachers and paraprofessionals to ensure we are attracting and retaining top talent and lastly investing in our vocational and trade programs.

Additional Information for Voters

The surtax imposed by the Fair Share Amendment, the so-called “millionaires tax,” is an annual additional 4% tax, starting with tax year 2023, on personal income in excess of $1 million. (The $1 million initial amount is increased annually for inflation.) Revenue from the surtax, reported at more than $1.8 billion already this fiscal year, is directed toward funding for public education and transportation. For more on the “millionaires tax,” go here.

BILL HUMPHREY

My peers and I face increasingly difficult housing choices, which risk unraveling our social fabric and economic competitiveness: live with relatives, pay through the nose and defer starting or growing new families to live independently, or move away. This problem mostly comes down to lack of supply. Empty-nest seniors ready to down-size within their communities cannot find smaller ownership units to buy and release their large homes to young families, the wealthiest buyers and renters are competing with middle-income folks for the same units due to undersupplied high-end demand, insufficient affordable lottery inventory pushes low-income residents into cost-burdened competition with middle-income adults, and zoning is not geared toward production of modest middle-income units (e.g. triple-decker apartments or modest starter homes). The state could reduce this competition with policies that promote new supply, especially regulations encouraging more modest rental apartments and financing or regulations promoting small senior ownership unit production. 

RICK LIPOF

The lack of supply is directly related to appreciation in prices. Increasing supply will help stabilize prices. In theory, building more units should help create more options and thus less competition for product. The housing bill presently in front of legislature and the Governor is full of policies that I believe can help create all types of housing, affordable, mid-market and so much more. Increasing the number of ADU’s, allowing for conversion of mills and malls to residential housing, and then encouragement to build all levels of housing is the start that we need. The Governor proposed $4.12 Billion bond bill. The House bill is over $6 Billion. This is a good faith plan to make real change in housing in Massachusetts. Business owners report to me that the number one reason they are having trouble hiring is due to the cost and lack of reasonable housing options.  

ALEX JABLON

Every day on the campaign trail, I hear from parents who want their kids to be able to move back to Newton, or elsewhere in MA, but cannot afford to. This is unacceptable. Expanding first time home buyer programs, passing the affordable homes act, enhancing zoning reforms to increase density and make it easier to build mixed use and multi family projects, increasing incentives for municipalities and developers to change zoning and build affordable housing and streamlining the 40b appeals process to reduce delays from NIMBYs that oppose a housing project are just a few ways we can do this. 

AMY SANGIOLO

Two recent reports suggest that the biggest decline in population leaving MA are those between the ages of 25 and 44. The Boston Indicator’s report suggests that the majority who have left between 2006 and 2022 were white and middle- or high-income. Work in specialized fields, retirement, or the search for a new home somewhere cheaper may be the causes for this trend. The Questrom School of Business’ study on outmigration agreed that the largest group leaving is individuals ages 26-34, but that most of the lost income to the State was from those aged 55-64 and more than half were higher income earners. Income tax, healthcare costs, and housing costs are the largest drivers of outmigration. Policymakers should: 

1. Review MA’s income tax structure

2. Incentivize businesses to locate and stay

3. Encourage partnerships between businesses and higher education institutions, vocational schools, and technical schools to create a pipeline for job opportunities for their graduates

4. Review healthcare costs

5. Create more mixed income housing opportunities

Additional Information for Voters

For a story on young adults leaving Massachusetts for more affordable housing, see  “People are leaving Massachusetts in droves. Who are they?” Also, ‘Alarming’: One in four young people plans to leave Greater Boston in the next five years, report finds, is based on a survey conducted in late 2023 by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

RICK LIPOF

I support the Right to Shelter Law ensuring families with children have safe places to live.  It reduces the health risks associated with homelessness and provides a safety net families stabilize and potentially return to self-sufficiency. Amendments would focus on revisiting and refining criteria to ensure that those who are most in need receive priority.  I would amend to streamline the process to reduce bureaucracy and ensure quicker shelter.  I would support and add services such as job training, mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment, all underlying issues of homelessness.  I would focus on transitioning from emergency shelter to permanent housing.  I would reallocate funds from less critical areas, create public –private partnerships in developing housing, issue state bonds and maximize the use of federal grants and programs. Also, providing tax incentives to developers to build what is needed.  Phasing these changes in gradually would be wise budgeting.    

BILL HUMPHREY

I support the Right to Shelter Law as it was written, and I do not support recent modifications. Until federal intervention arrives, we need to plan for the longer-term and expand emergency housing facilities (which also need to be properly inspected regularly). The day-by-day approach has not only surpassed a breaking point, but it is perhaps the most expensive way of providing shelter for unavoidably long stays. We can find less expensive and better ways to guarantee shelter than we have been (and we’re starting to move in that direction), and I believe we have the resources in this state to provide shelter, if we have the political will. I am not prepared to compromise the international rights of refugees and asylum seekers, nor the state rights of our local unhoused population, for the sake of convenience or because it makes it more complicated to fund our priorities. 

AMY SANGIOLO

I support the Right to Shelter Law. However, the law currently applies to families with children and pregnant people, but not individuals. The law is working as intended, but it is limited in the scope of people it can help due to a lack of funding. As more come into the system due to the immigration crisis and rising rents, evictions, and foreclosures, we need to put pressure on the federal government to provide more funding to sustain the program and lift the current cap. The State recently applied to FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program for $34.5 million to help with the budget shortfall. I support using this grant to expand the scope of the Right to Shelter Law.

ALEX JABLON

No. I think we should expand eligibility and we can fund that in a few ways. On the revenue side, we can implement transfer fees that can be allocated to affordable housing and shelter initiatives and increase taxes on short term rentals like Airbnb’s, which are eating up our housing supply. We can also look at our existing housing programs and reallocate resources from less effective ones to ones that have proven successful. All of this is great, but my focus is on preventative measures and programs to help those who need shelter to find long term housing. This includes eviction protection programs, increasing affordable housing supply and providing services to help homeless individuals gain stable employment and permanent housing. 

Additional Information for Voters

In 1983, Massachusetts enacted a “right-to-shelter law,” which guarantees homeless families with children and those who are pregnant access to temporary housing and other emergency services.  Massachusetts is the only state with such a law. This story in the Commonwealth Beacon describes the controversy around the law that has arisen as the increase in migrants has strained the state’s emergency housing system.  Also, this WBUR story, this MASSLIVE story, and this WGBH story provide helpful information.

BILL HUMPHREY

Although I agree that we need to make changes to achieve more truly affordable housing units, 40B is not the intended primary vehicle for that objective. We have gotten a significant number of affordable units as part of mixed-rate 40B projects, but simply tinkering with the 40B formula (e.g. raising the inclusionary percentage of affordable units in a larger project or universally lowering the Area Median Income eligibility cap for the affordable units) would likely result in fewer projects, not more projects, coming to fruition. Instead, if the goal is to promote truly affordable housing units (which I support as part of an all-price-points comprehensive strategy), we would need to focus on legal reforms specifically designed to facilitate the work of specialist development entities that build entirely low-income projects (involving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit), not mixed projects. Combining that with 40B would only jumble several different systems together. 

RICK LIPOF

I would be in favor of increasing the percentage of affordable units required.  I would want deeper affordability.  I would also want to strengthen local input by mandating comprehensive assessments of the potential impacts on local infrastructure, schools and services, ensuring developments are sustainable and beneficial for existing residents.  I would want better local control over the location and design of affordable housing, balancing the need for affordable housing units with the character of the neighborhood and infrastructure capacity.  I would like to streamline the approval process without sacrificing the above goals.  I would like to develop pre-approved design templates, simplifying the approval process and ensuring high-quality, cost effective construction.  We need to increase state and federal grants to support the development and maintenance of affordable housing.  We can create a more inclusive housing market.  

ALEX JABLON

Yes, increase to 30-35% to ensure more units are affordable. We have hundreds of people applying to every affordable unit in Newton, so this is quite honestly below what we need and I would see as a bare minimum increase. We should also look in to reducing the % of AMI these units are priced at, so that our most financially vulnerable citizens can afford to live here.

AMY SANGIOLO

Chapter 40B allows the local Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules (bypassing local zoning) if at least 20-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions. At least 25% of the units must be affordable to lower income households who earn no more than 80% of the AMI; for rental housing, the project can provide 20% of the units to households below 50% of median income. To achieve more truly affordable housing units, Chapter 40B should be modified to increase the percentage of affordable units in developments to at least 30% and reduce the AMI cap from 80% to 50% and/or 30% AMI.

Additional Information for Voters

“Chapter 40B” refers to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Permit Statute under M.G.L. Chapter 40B, which encourages the development of low and moderate-income housing by providing a streamlined permitting process and relief from local zoning requirements.  Chapter 40B enables a local Zoning Board of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20-25 percent of the units have long-term affordability restrictions.  For a discussion of some of the pros and cons of Chapter 40B, see this article.

RICK LIPOF

It’s all about incentivizing affordable housing.  We need to increase the availability of state grants and subsidies for safe harbor communities, as well as tax credits to developers.  Density bonuses and streamlining the permitting process can further reduce time and costs.  Addressing concerns of new development through community engagement is a must.  Balancing state resources to ensure that both Safe Harbor and non-Safe Harbor communities can develop affordable housing is important to maintain equity.  Further incentivizing affordable housing in Massachusetts communities that have achieved 40B Safe Harbor status could help meet ongoing housing needs, promote inclusivity, and stimulate economic growth.  

BILL HUMPHREY

Creating a real estate transfer fee local option for municipal affordable housing trusts to collaborate with low-income housing developers would be an important step.

For municipalities that are less actively interested in that work, further inducements might be needed, either as incentives rewarding further production or as soft disincentives for stopping at the bare minimum. For example, the state might consider a greater degree of intervention into the special permit and rezoning process (as they did when abolishing some of the two-thirds majority requirements) to create a maximum timetable for review for low-income housing developers who are much more affected by prolonged current processes than market-rate developers who have less complicated funding stacks and do not use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program as part of their financing.

I also support proposals to provide funding to renovate dilapidated public housing stock, so that we don’t lose existing affordable units. 

AMY SANGIOLO

Chapter 40B currently allows all units within the development to count toward the municipalities’ 10% calculation, even though the majority of the units are market rate. That means that even when a community has achieved 40B Safe Harbor status, its percentage of affordable housing is not actually at 10%. The state should provide incentives to communities that increase their percentage of actual affordable housing units by granting the community access to additional state funding to mitigate any fiscal impacts and address any infrastructure needs.

ALEX JABLON

See answer to 7 (copied below)

As a finance professional, it comes down to incentives. I think the communities act was a good start, but my view on mandates is that often they work up to the safe harbor, but often times fail to incentivize above it. I think increasing grants and tax credits, including through the affordable housing trust fund and low income housing tax credits (as proposed in the Affordable Homes Act) are always a good way to go. We can also help by promoting upzoning and mixed use developments, and rezoning unused state owned land for high density residential use.

Additional Information for Voters

“40B Safe Harbor” refers to circumstances that make it permissible for a local Zoning Board of Appeals to deny a comprehensive permit to a developer without the risk that the Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee will overturn the denial.  40B Safe Harbor status depends, in part, on how many housing units in the city or town are considered “affordable” on the date of a developer’s comprehensive permit application.  The most widely known 40B Safe Harbor is met if at least ten percent of a city or town’s total number of housing units are low or moderate income housing units. This 40B Handbook for Zoning Boards of Appeals provides more information. For more detail on 40B Safe Harbor status, also see this Powerpoint from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.

BILL HUMPHREY

I support state-run public banking with private and public deposits deployed at a large enough scale to offer discounted financing options to help builders address certain policy objectives that have stalled or slowed under higher private lending rates.

On the question of zoning itself, the state will likely need to step in again with more carrots and sticks to get municipalities to go beyond minimal or nominal compliance. Positive incentives could come in the form of further grants and programs to support and enhance new housing (e.g. more MassWorks offerings). Wraparound service aid for low-income projects would help. We might explore adding bonuses to existing annual state aid based on housing production figures. We should strengthen compliance by making clear that rezoning is a requirement, and that cities and towns that choose not to will be rezoned by the state (with local input) as opposed to by the local government. 

RICK LIPOF

Much of the same things I have touched on above include increasing density bonuses, streamlining the permitting process and providing tax incentives.  Public private partnerships could create collaborations between municipalities, developers and communities to create innovative housing solutions.  All cannot be done without investing in infrastructure upgrades to transit access, pedestrian and bike access and utilities.  Additional rezoning, no matter how tedious for the municipality will have to be an ongoing conversation.  Further investment in Housing Trust Funds is a must.  

ALEX JABLON

As a finance professional, it comes down to incentives. I think the communities act was a good start, but my view on mandates is that often they work up to the safe harbor, but often times fail to incentivize above it. I think increasing grants and tax credits, including through the affordable housing trust fund and low income housing tax credits (as proposed in the Affordable Homes Act) are always a good way to go. We can also help by promoting upzoning and mixed use developments, and rezoning unused state owned land for high density residential use.

AMY SANGIOLO

I support the Governor’s proposal to allow ADUs by-right, but also support giving communities the ability to make adjustments as appropriate to their community, repurposing state owned properties to create more housing, and giving municipalities the ability to levy real estate transfer fees in order to fund the creation and preservation of affordable housing units.

Additional Information for Voters

The Massachusetts Housing Choice Bill, or the “MBTA Communities Act,” is a 2021 state law that was enacted to address the state’s critical housing shortage by requiring transit proximate communities to zone to allow increasing the housing supply statewide.  The MBTA Communities Act requires the 177 cities and towns in relative proximity to MBTA commuter rail and the T, to modify their zoning to permit multi-family housing near transit, by-right.  While the MBTA Communities Act requires zoning changes to permit multi-family housing, it does not require construction of any multi-family housing.

RICK LIPOF

We all have to work together to tackle the housing crisis.  Controlling rents by allowing reasonable increases but not excessive increases needs to be considered and debated. Pushing the federal government to support housing nationwide is something I can work on with our DC delegation advocating for grants and low-interest loans.  I would promote the reuse of buildings, converting underutilized or vacant commercial and industrial buildings into residential units (this is in the housing bond bill).  I would advocate for green building incentives.  I would always keep workforce housing in every conversation and solution as it is the missing middle/middle income earners that may not qualify for traditional affordable housing but still struggle with high housing costs.  As a real estate professional, I bring deep knowledge of complex market factors and historical evidence to every conversation on housing.  It’s my profession and my passion.  

BILL HUMPHREY

Housing stability is key to life stability foundational to health, recovery, employment, educational attainment, and more. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I was the only Councilor to go door-to-door to constituents with leaflets about our emergency rental assistance program. One of our state policy objectives on housing should be to help people stay in their current housing as often as possible, especially because instability ripples across municipal borders. We must reduce foreclosures and evictions, from emergency financial bridges to expanded right to counsel and more. We also need to take a serious state-level look at the issue of rent stabilization local options, again due to the ripple effect across municipal boundaries. Virtually everyone feels there is some upper limit on a reasonable annual increase in monthly rents without property upgrades, even if not everyone agrees on how high that is, and we should have that conversation as a commonwealth. 

AMY SANGIOLO

Housing is a human right and everyone should have access to safe, accessible, and affordable housing. I support and will advocate for the following: increasing funding for wrap-around programs and services to help tenants stay housed; giving cities and towns the ability to adopt rent control or other measures to stabilize rents; municipal housing vouchers; stronger tenant protections, including the right to counsel and eviction sealing; and requiring mediation prior to foreclosure. In addition, I support publicly funded social housing and community land trusts.

ALEX JABLON

I support implementing real estate transfer fees, supporting community land trusts, and making the most of the land we have, especially in eastern MA. There is so much to be done, all I want is that anyone that wants to live here should be able to afford to do so. We are in a crisis here in the commonwealth, and the time to act is now.