Affordable Housing

MSAC has long fought to create and preserve affordable housing across Massachusetts.

We hold community meetings, advocate locally to push communities to address the affordable housing crisis, and support allies fighting to make sure everybody in Massachusetts has housing.

We also regularly help residents organize tenant councils so they can know their rights and address problems collectively, to hold managers and housing authorities accountable to security, local services, and maintenance issues.

OUR VICTORIES

• In 2015, we stopped a proposed rent increase in Lynn that would of cost residents over 55% of their monthly income.

• In 2009, MSAC’s “Expiring Use” campaign achieved a major victory when Governor Patrick signed “An Act to Preserve Affordable Public Housing,” which created a process to maintain long-term affordability in private subsidized rental properties at risk of becoming market-rate. The law has since protected thousands of senior housing units in over 10 communities.

• In 2009, BHA residents won more than $100,000 in retroactive funding, plus thousands of dollars in ongoing funding to support resident activities.

• In 2008, we preserved the affordability of Ocean Shores housing in Lynn for another 20 years.

• In 2007, we kept Security Guards intact in Boston Housing Authority’s (BHA) senior housing.

• In 1989, we passed of Boston’s Senior Security Ordinance, a citywide public safety ordinance governing all public and privately subsidized housing for seniors and people with disabilities, which we are still using in our current Boston housing campaigns.