The MA House voted last Wednesday for its economic development bill, a bill that every two years can become a catch-all bill for various policy priorities and earmarks.

The House went through 688 amendments in the non-transparent Consolidated Amendment process. House Leadership grouped these 688 amendments into five categories to create five Consolidated Amendments, but little, if anything, of the content of most of these amendments remained. Rather than rejecting amendments (by voice or recorded vote) or having lead sponsors withdraw amendments, the House has increasingly taken to this strategy, which reduces the ability for the public to see what is happening and pushes even more discussion behind closed doors.

Consolidated amendments also erase opportunities for accountability by bundling measures together rather than allowing for clear up or down votes on individual priorities.

One of the amendments that we had supported did, however, make it in: the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), which would allow cities and towns a local option to provide tenants in multi-family buildings the right to match a third-party offer when their homes are being sold.

TOPA passed the Legislature more than five years ago, vetoed by Republican Governor Charlie Baker when the legislative session had run out and there was no time for veto overrides. Two years ago, the House passed it as part of the housing bond bill, but it did not survive final negotiations. Let’s make it the session it finally happens.

The House’s bill also took other steps to address the housing crisis, such as authorizing municipalities to adopt commercial conversion zoning to transform underutilized commercial properties into housing and mixed-use developments through streamlined local approvals and allowing multifamily housing as of right on qualifying land owned by religious institutions, with a requirement that at least 20% of units be affordable.

Let's make sure that TOPA gets over the finish line.

1. Find a few minutes this weekend to call/email your state rep to say "I was glad to see that the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act got into the economic development bill. I hope you will advocate for this to be part of the final bill that emerges out of House - Senate negotiations."
2. And then call/email your state senator to say "I was glad to see that the Senate passed the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act in the economic development bill. Please urge Senate Leadership to include it in the Senate's economic development bill as well. TOPA (S.998) is an essential tool for preserving naturally occurring affordable housing and fighting displacement."