Advocates say landlord and HOA rules block home-based childcare; bill would clarify rights

Advocates for home-based child care told the committee that landlord resistance and homeowners'association rules are a major barrier to expanding licensed family childcare, particularly among multilingual and immigrant providers who disproportionately rent.

"The childcare crisis in Massachusetts is not a distant problem. It's a pressing invisible emergency," Beth Robbins of Empowered Children for Success testified in support of H.255. She cited state estimates that childcare shortages cost the economy billions annually and said Massachusetts ranks among the most expensive states for childcare.

Speakers from the Leaders for Equitable Local Economies pipeline said about 70 percent of their program participants are renters and that landlords often withhold permission due to insurance or property-damage concerns. Panelists described cases where graduates were denied landlord approval, forced to move multiple times, or blocked by homeowners associations despite being licensed and trained.

Proponents asked H.255 to clarify zoning and landlord liability rules and to affirm renters' and condo owners' rights to operate licensed childcare in their homes. They argued that passing the bill would unlock hundreds of new childcare slots and expand culturally and linguistically responsive care in communities underserved by existing centers.

Committee members thanked speakers and asked for written follow-up materials; proponents said they would submit additional examples and asked for urgent attention because of the sharp decline in licensed family childcare over the past decade.