CommonWealth Beacon

The Supreme Judicial Court again upheld the MBTA Communities law last week. The court deemed the law, aimed at addressing the state’s housing crisis, a matter of serious public interest that “falls squarely” within the Legislature’s authority.

In a brisk, unanimous decision, the SJC rejected the town of Marshfield’s bid to avoid compliance with the law on every argument it raised.

As of August 31, 168 out of 177 MBTA Communities have submitted zoning plans to the state. Officials have determined 159 of them, including Marshfield, are fully or conditionally compliant, and say about 10,000 units are in the housing pipeline as a result of the transit-oriented housing law.

A report from the state auditor details how, over a two-year stretch, out-of-work Massachusetts residents were not receiving the help they needed from the Department of Unemployment Assistance.

The audit covers the years between 2022 and 2024, before the agency was thrust into more recent turmoil with record-breaking poor performance during a time of a relatively stable job market.

Legislative leaders have done little to tackle the problem.

A new survey of Massachusetts residents builds on a well-established theme: The Bay State has some of the highest incomes in the country, but with the costs for basics like housing and utilities growing at a much faster pace, many families are feeling the pinch.

A majority of residents think Massachusetts is both one of the best states to live in and one of the worst for affordability, according to a new poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group as part of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s annual assessment of state competitiveness.

Longtime, lower-income tenants have few options when a landlord decides to sell besides hoping the new owners don’t price them out. Housing advocates say the loss of lower-cost units is detrimental to the housing crisis affecting Massachusetts, and difficult to mitigate without new tools.

The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (T**A) is closer than ever to passing on Beacon Hill, and supporters of the law say it would be essential to preserving affordable housing.

Still, T**A has its skeptics, who point to Washington, DC’s changes to its tenant purchase policy as evidence of its risks.

Low-income communities across Massachusetts are facing high housing costs and low supply. Local leaders are pushing for the development of new units — any units — but market-rate projects branded as “luxury” are met with resistance from advocates who want affordable housing. Can both be right?

"More housing is needed, and affordable housing is also acutely needed,” said Tracy Hadden Loh, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies real estate and economic development. “With this ‘debate,’ you end up with people talking past each other when they’re really talking about the same thing, which is just the supply crisis.”

Nine ballot questions are in the mix for Massachusetts’s November election. So, what happens once a measure wins at the polls?

Most likely, any approved questions will take effect with little or no legislative interference. But lawmakers can and might well make their own revisions.

Chris Lisinski breaks down what happens after the votes are tallied.