Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
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| Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities | |
|---|---|
| Name | Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities |
| Jurisdiction | Massachusetts |
| Formed | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Chief1 name | Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities |
| Parent agency | Office of the Governor |
Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is a cabinet-level agency in Massachusetts responsible for coordinating housing policy, community development, and land use planning across state agencies including Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and Massachusetts Department of Revenue. It aims to align affordable housing efforts with climate resilience, transportation access, and economic development priorities advanced by the Baker–Polito Administration and subsequent gubernatorial offices such as the Maura Healey administration. The office collaborates with municipal actors like the Boston City Council, regional entities such as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and federal partners including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United States Department of Transportation.
Overview and Mission
The office’s mission emphasizes equitable housing production, preservation, and neighborhood livability, connecting initiatives from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to the Massachusetts Historic Commission and aligning with statewide plans like the Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report and the Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan. It coordinates with statutory frameworks such as the Chapter 40B comprehensive permit program, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Permit Act, and the Housing Development Incentive Program to implement strategies reflected in plans like the Comprehensive Housing Strategy and the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program. The office also engages with civil rights and fair housing enforcement under precedents set by cases like Gautreaux v. Chicago Housing Authority and policies influenced by the Fair Housing Act.
Organizational Structure
Leadership comprises a Secretary reporting to the Governor of Massachusetts and working with deputy secretaries overseeing divisions analogous to the Massachusetts Department of Community Development, Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. Advisory bodies include representatives from the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, and municipal officials from cities such as Boston, Cambridge, Springfield, Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Brockton, Massachusetts. The office interfaces with quasi-public corporations like the Massachusetts Port Authority and entities such as the Community Preservation Coalition, while integrating public input from nonprofits like Greater Boston Legal Services, Action for Boston Community Development, and Habitat for Humanity.
Programs and Initiatives
Core programs include multifamily housing production incentives, preservation funds for subsidized housing portfolios held by the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and transit-oriented development coordination with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Administration. Initiatives span anti-displacement strategies inspired by examples like New York City Housing Authority community stabilization, inclusionary zoning models used in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Somerville, Massachusetts, and climate resilience pilots comparable to projects in New Bedford, Massachusetts and Salem, Massachusetts. Technical assistance and grant programs connect municipal planning under Chapter 91 tidelands management, Brownfields remediation analogous to United States Environmental Protection Agency programs, and energy efficiency retrofits aligned with Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Mass Save efforts.
Funding and Budget
Funding streams derive from state appropriations authorized by the Massachusetts General Court, bond issues coordinated with the Massachusetts State Treasurer and capital plans like the Massachusetts Capital Expenditure Plan, and federal grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, United States Department of Agriculture, and the CDBG Disaster Recovery Fund. The office administers competitive grant portfolios similar to HOME Investment Partnerships Program allocations and tax-credit coordination with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program administered via the Internal Revenue Service partnership with state agencies. It leverages funding mechanisms exemplified by municipal split-rate taxes or community investment trusts used in cities like Burlington, Vermont and financing models observed at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
Policy and Legislative Role
The office crafts regulations and legislative proposals working with the Massachusetts Legislature, legislative committees such as the Joint Committee on Housing, and executive orders from governors like Charlie Baker and Deval Patrick. Policy work addresses zoning reform debates paralleling reforms in Minneapolis and California Senate Bill 9, anti-discrimination enforcement influenced by HUD v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. jurisprudence, and coordination of housing production targets similar to regional approaches in the Portland metropolitan area. It produces reports and recommendations informed by scholarship from universities such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts Boston, and policy research by think tanks like the Urban Institute and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
The office engages a broad coalition including municipal governments across counties like Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Hampden County, Massachusetts, nonprofit developers such as Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation and Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, labor unions like the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, and civic organizations such as the Massachusetts Municipal Association. Collaboration extends to federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, philanthropic partners like the Boston Foundation and Barr Foundation, and national housing organizations such as Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and NeighborWorks America.
Performance and Impact Evaluation
Performance metrics include housing units produced and preserved, affordability levels tracked against HUD benchmarks, reductions in shelter populations measured in coordination with Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency responses, and climate resilience indicators tied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency flood mapping updates. Evaluation draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, state datasets administered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and MassGIS, and analytic partnerships with academic centers like the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston. Independent audits and program reviews are conducted in line with standards used by the State Auditor of Massachusetts and federal monitoring protocols exemplified by the Office of Inspector General (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development).