Fall Legislative Activity

By Nathanael Shea, Director of Public Policy

It’s going to be a busy fall for our legislative agenda. On September 9th, the Joint Committee on Revenue held its hearing on Local Option Luxury Transfer Fee legislation. There was a great showing of individuals and organizations across the state advocating for having the resources they need to build and preserve affordable housing and keep people in their homes. A particular hat tip to MACDC members MA Affordable Homeownership Alliance, CHAPA, Somerville Community Corporation, and Island Housing Trust for delivering terrific testimony. You can watch all of the testimony here, and that page also includes information on how you can submit your own written testimony in favor of a Luxury Transfer Fee. And if you want to skip ahead you’ll find the several panels from the LOHA Coalition starting at around the 2:29 mark and MACDC’s own panel (alongside MAPC and MassBudget) as part of that coalition starting around the 2:48 mark. You can also read our testimony here.  

The Legislature also just announced a September 25th hearing date for the Zero Carbon Renovation Fund bill, and we’ll be working with our partners in that coalition to make sure the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy hears strong testimony about the need to invest in decarbonization. If you’re interested in getting information on sending in supportive written testimony or participating in that hearing, please feel to reach out to the great Emily Jones of LISC, who leads that coalition, at ejones@lisc.org. 

We’re also continuing to advocate, alongside our coalition partners, in favor of our other priority legislation like the AHEAD Act and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). If you wish to submit testimony on the AHEAD Act, it’s not too late! Please use these templates or check out the Action Network link for quick and easy submission. And stay tuned for information on the TOPA bill, which hasn’t yet had its hearing scheduled.  

MACDC’s Health Equity Committee 

MACDC’s Health Equity Committee will be meeting next on Monday October 6th at 2pm over Zoom where we will discuss CDCs’ involvement in local food policy councils. We invite any interested MACDC members to join in this important conversation! 

Equity Initiative Updates 

MACDC’s Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative (“The Equity Initiative”) team is kicking off our engagement in our second cohort of Gateway Cities: Lynn, New Bedford, and Worcester. CEDC in New Bedford graciously hosted our New Bedford stakeholder meeting, which was attended by over 15 individuals. We will be holding meetings in Worcester and Lynn later this month. Please contact Elana at elanab@macdc.org if you’d like to learn more. 

Introduction to the Convergence of Health Equity and Community Development 

MACDC’s Director of Health Equity, Elana Brochin, and Michelle Wiener, formerly of DBEDC, facilitated their popular training on the convergence of Health Equity and Community Development. Participants learned about the ways that CDCs are impacting health outcomes in their communities and had the opportunity to workshop ideas for how their work could have a positive impact on health and how to measure this impact. 

Health Equity Committee Field Trip 

Fourteen people attended our fourth annual Health Equity Field Trip on August 13th. The group met at Dorchester Bay EDC to learn about the work of the Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative as well the work of the CDCs that make up the Collaborative: Southwest Boston CDC, Codman Square CDC, and Dorchester Bay EDC. The group had the opportunity to discuss the ways in which these MACDC members are working at the intersection of Climate Justice and Health Equity. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot! 

Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Fund 

Ahead of the next application cycle for the Funds in January 2026, the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy aging fund is accepting idea submissions from eligible MA-based entities working to address social determinants of health and the root causes of health inequities. The idea phase is open to organizations considering applying for funding for work on Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) change, Healthy Aging, and Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) processes. This is an opportunity to receive feedback about alignment with the Funds’ purpose before submitting a full application. The second round for idea submissions will be open from August 11th to September 8th. Visit Idea Submission Phase Self-Assessment to take a self-assessment to determine if your organization is eligible and to learn more about what they are looking for, or head directly to mahealthfunds.org/apply to submit an idea. 

Congratulations to JPNDC and Codman Square NDC! 

Congratulations to Jamaica Plain NDC and Codman Square NDC who are receiving funding as part of City of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commissions Live Long and Well population health equity agenda to close the life expectancy gap in Boston by 2025. Codman Square will be working with others in Dorchester to support economic mobility services including housing and credit-building support, financial coaching, workforce development, and resources for childcare, transportation, and food access. JPNDC will work with others to expand Upham’s Community Care’s outreach vans to visit several Dorchester and Roxbury sites two days a week, with the goal of serving 3,480 people over two years. In addition to basic primary care services, the vans will provide access to economic mobility coaches and community food services.     

Equity Initiative Updates 

MACDC’s Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative (“The Equity Initiative”) team are beginning work in a second cohort of Gateway Cities, including Lynn, New Bedford, and Worcester. The goal of this work is to identify local concerns and to identify ways to support work to improve housing quality concerns in these cities. The Equity Initiative team also held its second multi-city gathering for individuals from the first cohort of Gateway Cities, Brockton, Holyoke, and Springfield, in order to continue to support the work in these cities. In response to suggestions from the first cohort of Gateway Cities, the Equity Initiative Team also recently published their first Better Health Through Better Housing newsletter. Please contact Elana at elanab@macdc.org if you’d like to learn more. 

Economic Development Updates

by Yari DeJesus

Supplier Diversity Program Launch Recap 

On July 23rd, MACDC hosted an introductory meeting to relaunch and expand our Supplier Diversity Program statewide. The program aims to strengthen MBE and WBE participation in CDC-led real estate projects by providing tools, monthly convenings, and a data collection framework. Over 30 CDC staff joined the kickoff, where we shared program goals, walked through new resources available on Boardable, and gathered thoughtful feedback to guide the implementation. Monthly meetings will begin in August, with data reporting starting later in 2026. We strongly encourage all participating CDCs to join the Boardable platform, which will serve as the central hub for accessing program resources, participating in group discussions, and staying connected. 

MACDC Staffing update 

Yari DeJesus, MACDC’s Director of Economic Development, will be out on maternity leave starting at the end of August as she welcomes her first baby. During her leave through the fall season, Supplier Diversity Program convenings and related communications will be managed by Don Bianchi, Director of Housing and Gracie Theobald-Williams, Data and Equity Specialist. We thank you in advance for your support during this transition and look forward to Yari’s return after the fall season. 

Final Report from the Massachusetts Poverty Commission Released 

After more than a year of in-depth research, public hearings, and stakeholder engagement, the Massachusetts Special Legislative Commission to Study Poverty has released its final report: Pathways to Possibility – A Ten Year Roadmap to Expand Economic Mobility in Massachusetts. Yari DeJesus, MACDC’s Director of Economic Development, proudly served as one of 32 appointed commissioners contributing to this statewide effort. The report offers a comprehensive framework to reduce poverty through targeted policy recommendations across four key areas: access to essential support, stability for individuals and families, opportunity for economic mobility, and systems coordination. It also includes data on the state of poverty, lived-experience testimony, and spotlights on recent legislative achievements. The final report reflects extensive commissioner feedback and is designed to guide legislative and programmatic actions toward a more equitable and economically secure Commonwealth. 

You can access the full report HERE: 

Final Report - Special Commission to Study Poverty.pdf 

Virtual Brownfields Roundtable 

On September 9th, MassDEP in partnership with MassDevelopment will be hosting a virtual Brownfields ‘Roundtable’ webinar for everyone who is interested in learning about current funding and technical assistance available from: MassDevelopment, UConn Technical Assistance to Brownfields, the US EPA, and MassDEP. 

Please register to attend this 90-minute meeting at 6:00 PM EST on the Zoom platform [prior registration is required].  

Registration Link: https://lnkd.in/eEnuCRnd 

Policy & Advocacy Updates

June State House Briefings 

In early June, MACDC co-organized two legislative briefings at the State House. One presented the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), helping to dispel myths and to educate new lawmakers and their staffs on the benefits of this policy that has come so close to passage multiple times over the past few legislative sessions. See a post about the briefing here. The other briefing walked legislators and their staff through various options for raising revenue to invest in climate justice. MACDC’s Director of Public Policy presented at this hearing on behalf of the AHEAD Act. See here for some information about the event, and you can find the slide deck from the presentation here, with what was presented on AHEAD and the other two great bills.  

July Hearings on MACDC Priority Bills 

On July 15th, MACDC testified at two important State House hearings. In the first, the AHEAD Coalition rolled out 3 panels before the Joint Committee on Revenue, highlighting how raising our uncompetitively low deeds excise fee should be a crucial tool in our toolbox to fight our interrelated housing and climate crisis. You can watch the hearing here – our portion starts at the 42 minute point in the video. Big thanks to our coalition partners MAPC, Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative, CHAPA, Better Future Project, Conservation Law Foundation, the Boston Climate Action Network, and the MA Alliance of HUD Tenants for joining the panels. The hearing was a great success, and the coalition is now meeting with individual members of the committee to lobby for support of the bill. And if you wish to submit testimony in favor of the bill yourself or on behalf of your organization (or both!), you can use these templates or for a super quick click-and-send version use this Action Network link produced by our partners at FICC.  

Later that day, we also joined our friends at LISC and Power Options to testify before the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, to testify in favor of adding a Zero Carbon Renovation Fund to the new environmental bond bill that the Governor has filed (the Mass Ready Act). You can view the (very long!) hearing here, and if you want to skip right to us, our panel comes in right around the 3 hours and 2 minutes mark.  

What’s Ahead in the Fall 

The coming fall promises a lot of Beacon Hill activity. There are still a few of MACDC’s priority bills awaiting their public hearings – Local Option Real Estate Transfer Fees, TOPA, and the stand-alone Zero Carbon Renovation Fund bill. In addition, there is likely to be a continued revisiting of our state budget, depending on how deep an impact the impending federal cuts make on our fiscal landscape here. So stay tuned for opportunities to advocate! 

Lobby Day Photos 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for MACDC Lobby Day in the spring. Please see here for photos that were taken at the event. You’re welcome to use them in your materials, and if you do we just ask that you give photo credit to Liese Jones Photography.  

Join The Mel King Institute and Our Partners for Fundamentals of the Opportunity Finance Industry

Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses Hearing 

On Tuesday May 27th, Yari DeJesus, Director of Economic Development at MACDC, and Kim Lyle, CEO of Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation and Chair of MACDC’s Board of Directors, participated in an Informational Hearing held by the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses. They shared pressing challenges facing small business owners in the Commonwealth, including those served by Dorchester Bay, particularly around social, economic, and environmental barriers to growth. They emphasized the importance of increased support for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), especially in light of potential reductions to the federal CDFI Fund, and called for sustained investments in the small business technical assistance program that help entrepreneurs navigate administrative and financial hurdles. They also highlighted the critical role of microlending in expanding access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs, particularly for small-dollar loans used for working capital, inventory, equipment, or startup costs. The testimony offered both a sobering look at current challenges and practical recommendations to strengthen the Commonwealth’s small business ecosystem. 

Taylor J. Robinson, MPH, PhDc is MACDC’s new Health Equity Intern. Her work supports the planning and implementation of MACDC’s Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative.  

Taylor is currently a doctoral candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she studies the intersection of housing, environment, and sleep health through the lens of social epidemiology. As a T32 trainee in Sleep, Circadian, and Respiratory Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, her research interrogates how neighborhood environments, housing conditions, and environmental exposures shape sleep quality in Boston and the wider U.S. population. Her dissertation leverages Fitbit data and indoor temperature measurements to inform community-driven policy solutions.  

Prior to her doctoral training, Taylor earned her MPH in Epidemiology and her BA in Communications and Applied Statistics from the University of Pittsburgh. She has previously worked as a Rappaport Public Policy Fellow at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Her commitment to housing justice and health advancement is also reflected in her work with the NIH, the CDC, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and Harvard’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. In her free time, you can find her at a local Boston theatre, in the garden, or attempting a new Southern style recipe!  

MACDC hosted a free webinar for homeowners on how to identify and address lead paint in their homes or rental units they own on Thursday May 1st. The webinar featured speakers from the MA Department of Public Health, local rehabilitation agencies, lenders, and others. The need for this webinar came out of our Community Engagement work in Gateway Cities as part of our Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative. You can check out the recording of the webinar here. Please feel free to share with your networks!