Impact of state housing bill on western Massachusetts

BOSTON (WWLP) – A $5.4-billion housing bill passed the State Senate unanimously on Thursday and includes several housing provisions specific to western Massachusetts.

State Senator John Velis is the only western Massachusetts Senator on the housing committee.
He filed an amendment to the bill that ensures that housing developments across the state will be eligible for the Homeownership Tax Credit, including small and rural communities.

“That was a big deal for western Massachusetts,” said Velis. “What sometimes gets left unsaid is that a housing crisis manifests itself differently depending on where you’re located in the state. It impacts every type of housing and it impacts every type of person.”

Velis’ amendment was adopted and will be enacted pending approval from the Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

This bill also includes an amendment that prohibits most home sales that are conditioned on the buyer waiving or limiting their right to home inspection.

Senator Velis says that this provision could prevent homes with crumbling foundations, an issue unique to western and parts of central Massachusetts, from being sold without disclosure in the future.

The next step for this legislation is likely a six-person conference committee to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill for another vote.

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