Planning for New Housing: Key Facts and Figures for Your Community

Learning to solve our collective housing crisis in a way that works well with your community

Three-Deckers By-Right: Our Past and Future of Affordable Housing

“As a first step, we must learn from what we know and zone for three-deckers by-right.”

Mapping MBTA Communities Compliance

Which towns are following the law and which are breaking it?

Affordable Homes Act: Quick Guide to Funding

Find out what funding is available and who is eligible to receive it.

Housing Bond Bill 2024

HFMA offers a high-level summary of the provisions of the 2024 Housing Bond Bill, authorizing $5.16 billion of investments into housing programs

State Housing Policy Survey

What are peer states doing to alleviate the housing affordability crisis? HFMA reviews policies and their potential feasibility in Massachusetts

Housing Policy Blueprint for Governor Healey

This report offers a consolidated list of HFMA recommendations for the Healey Administration to consider to advance pro-housing policy

Literature Review: “Supply Skepticism Revisited”

This research review summarizes points from the Furman Center Report addressing questions about housing supply policies

Community Preservation Act

In response to reports that some municipalities have not met the housing requirements of the CPA, HFMA suggests changes that would allocate more attention to housing-specific goals

Housing Development Incentive Program

This primer summarizes the HDIP program, which subsidizes market-rate development in Massachusetts “Gateway Cities”

Affordable Housing Rehabilitation

In pursuit of cost-effective methods to add to the affordable housing stock, HFMA explores programs that rehabilitate existing housing, keeping units available and achieving affordability goals

MBTA Communities Act

This primer explains Section 3A, “Multi-Family Zoning as-of-right in MBTA Communities,” which is designed to encourage municipalities to create zoning districts for transit-oriented development near MBTA services.

Risk-Based Displacement Insurance

In collaboration with MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, this presentation displays an anti-displacement cash transfer proposal aimed at reducing displacement in areas experiencing high rental growth.

Massachusetts Smart Growth Zoning Overlays: 40R and 40S

This primer explains the state programs of Chapters 40R and 40S, designed to encourage “as-of-right” zoning districts through financial incentives.

Real Estate Taxes and Municipal Budgets

This paper looks at the critical role that new growth plays in ensuring that cities and towns have the financial resources that they need to provide fundamental city services.

How to be a
Housing Advocate

This how-to guide provides actionable, step-by-step ways for people who care about housing issues in Massachusetts to get involved in be a part of the solution.

The Data-Backed Case for Increased Production

Leaning heavily on data, this paper explores why building more homes, statewide, for all income levels is a critical component of solving our state’s affordable housing crisis.

Housing Policy Blueprint for Boston’s Next Mayor

This report offers a common sense plan for Boston's next mayor to address the city’s housing shortage and begin taking action on day one of their administration.

In addition to Housing Choice, the 2021 Economic Development Bill included several game-changing housing provisions. Read more about what was included in the final version of the bill.

Housing Choice officially became law in Jan 2021. Learn about what this legislation does and why it’s an important step toward solving MA’s housing shortage.

This document outlines Housing Forward-MA’s municipal-level zoning recommendations and the principles on which they are based.

Zoned Out: Why Massachusetts Needs to Legalize Apartments Near Transit

In order to address racial and economic segregation, housing shortages, and climate change, Boston Indicators makes the case for the by-right legalization of apartments near public transit.