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Mass. housing hearing spotlights 'Yes in My Backyard' bills, missing‑middle and parking reforms
Summary
Supporters and local officials told the Joint Committee on Housing that Senate Bill 962 and House Bill 1572 (the "Yes in My Backyard" package) would unlock smaller-scale "missing middle" housing, while advocates urged statewide parking‑requirement reform to lower costs and speed development.
The Joint Committee on Housing heard testimony Thursday on Senate Bill 962 and House Bill 1572, an act to promote "Yes in My Backyard," with developers, municipal officials and housing advocates urging the Legislature to ease zoning and parking rules that they say block duplexes, triplexes and modest multifamily homes.
The bills would create a streamlined, by‑right pathway for missing‑middle housing and address minimum lot sizes, frontage and parking mandates, proponents said. "This bill removes unnecessary barriers and ensures that when new homes are built, they are homes our families can actually afford," said Keith Ferry, president and CEO of Way Finders, a Springfield‑based housing nonprofit.
Why it matters: Testimony emphasized that Western Massachusetts' housing stock and infrastructure — older…
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