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Faith‑land bill draws broad support; advocates say parcels could yield thousands of homes

5872980 · September 17, 2025
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Summary

House Bill 2347, "Yes in God's Backyard," would allow multifamily housing by right on qualifying faith‑based parcels; testimony said thousands of suitable parcels exist and could generate housing and new tax revenue if developed.

The Joint Committee on Housing heard broad support for House Bill 2347, an act to promote "Yes in God's Backyard," which would permit multifamily housing by right on qualifying parcels owned by religious institutions.

Proponents said religious institutions own thousands of potentially developable parcels across Massachusetts and that allowing as‑of‑right housing there could yield substantial new supply and tax revenue. "Faith‑based organizations own nearly 4,000 parcels and over 20,000 acres of land across every community in the Commonwealth," said Katie Everett, executive…

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