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Massachusetts Association of REALTORS and Greater Boston Real Estate Board Testified on Behalf of Bill to Increase Housing Production and Encourage Economic Development in Massachusetts Housing production is key to keeping home prices affordable and aspiring homeowners from moving away. I NCRE A SING THE OPPORTUNIT Y for aspiring homeowners to be able to live and work in Ma ssachuset ts wa s the goa l of o¥cials from the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board when they testified yesterday in support of the H.O.M.E. Bill before the Joint Com m it tee on Com munit y Development a nd Sma l l Busi nesses at Ma ssa chuset t s State House. REALTORS see every day that potential homeow ners continue to face increa sing housing costs due to housing production barriers across the Commonwealth. Senate B i l l 1 1 9 "A n A c t i m p r o v i n g h o u s i n g opportunities and the Massachusetts econ- omy " (or H.O.M.E.), f iled on beha lf of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board by Senator Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), would make some changes to Massachusetts zoning laws that would help remove those barriers to housing production, keep future homeowners in the state and strengthen the Massachusetts economy. "The production of new housing is what we need for Massachusetts to remain com- petitive in the region, the country and the world," says 2015 MAR President Corinne Fitzgerald, broker-owner of FITZGER ALD Real Estate in Greenfield. "We live in a great state that people want to live in, but the cost of housing is making it more and more di¥cult to stay here or move here. The H.O.M.E. Bill will remove the barriers that are holding back our ability to produce the housing we need." " Th is leg islation w i l l go a long way to moving the needle on housing production. It takes simple steps to reduce red tape on existing building permits making it easier for buyers to obtain f inancing. It 's a solid first step in supporting job expansion and economic grow th in the Commonwea lth," says Gregory Vasil, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. "The H.O.M.E. Bill seeks to meet our state's housing needs, in turn streng thening the economy and retaining valuable human cap- ital in Massachusetts," says Sen. Rodrigues. " This bill of fers a multifaceted approach t o ea si n g t he C om monwea lt h's hou si n g shortage, reducing red tape, streamlining the housing production process, and encouraging smart growth. It will make Massachusetts an even better place to live and work." What the Bill Does The H.O.M.E. Bill promotes: Smart growth by requiring that cluster development be a llowed by right in residential zoning districts, at the density permitted in the underlying zoning district Multifamily housing construction by requiring that cities and towns permit multifamily development by right on at least 1.5 percent of the community's developable land area that is suitable for multifamily residential Affordable in-fill housing by requiring that accessory dwelling units (ADUs), sometimes referred to a s in-law apartments, be permitted by right in all single-family residential zoning districts Easing the burden on property owners to obtain dimensional relief for minor improvements by creating a two-tiered variance approach Replacing the supermajorit y vote requirements for variances and special permits with a simple majority standard C r e a t i n g c on s i s t ent we t l a nd s requirements by restoring uniformity across Massachusetts by prohibiting local wetlands requirements in most cases Creating consistent sewage disposa l requirements by establishing a DEP review and approval process of local sewage disposa l systems regulations to ensure they are scientifically-based restrictions, necessary to protect unusual local resources and do not conf lict with Title V About the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS Orga nized in 1924, the Ma ssachuset ts Association of REALTORS is a professional trade organization with more than 20,100 + members. The term REALTOR is registered as the exclusive designation of members of the National Association of REALTORS who subscribe to a strict code of ethics and enjoy continuing education programs. About the Greater Boston Real Estate Board Founded in 1889 GBREB is the oldest real estate trade association in America. GBREB is one organization powering five divisions that provide education, networking, advocacy and philanthropy. GBREB members special- ize in the development, management, and transactional aspects of real estate projects, both residential and commercial. GBREB is a¥liated with MAR, NAR, NAA, NMHC and BOMA International. To rea d a bo ut th e H .O . M . E . B ill in m o re detail, go to www.marealtor.com/members/ government-a'airs. ■ REALTY NEWS | Greater Boston Builder+Architect BOSTON.BUILDERARCHITECT.COM