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Healy: 'We passed the Affordable Homes Act' and will press to ban tenant broker fees
Summary
Governor Maura T. Healey said the Affordable Homes Act — which she described as a $5 billion measure — will be implemented to boost homebuilding and that she will seek legislation to prohibit broker fees charged to renters.
BOSTON — Governor Maura T. Healey told lawmakers Tuesday that implementation of the Affordable Homes Act will be a top priority and called for an end to broker fees charged to renters.
Healy said the Affordable Homes Act, which she described as a $5,000,000,000 act, is intended to create "tens of thousands of affordable homes" and that more than 116 towns have agreed to zoning changes near transit under the MBTA Communities Act, putting thousands of homes into the pipeline.
On renters, Healy said the practice of requiring an average broker fee before moving in is unfair and proposed legislation to "abolish tenant broker fees in Massachusetts." She cited the average upfront cost to renters as a barrier to saving for a down payment and called the fee "not right."
The governor said the administration will lean into implementation of the housing law and work with municipalities and the Legislature to build more homes and increase homeownership. She did not announce specific statutory language for the broker‑fee ban; enactment would require the Legislature to pass a bill.
