RPA Day at the State House 2025
Blog Posts
Current Session Blog Posts
Shannon Youth Conference 2025
August 21, 2025
Last month, local youth, community-based organization workers, law enforcement officials, and guest speakers came together at Boston University for the annual Metro Mayors Shannon Grant summer activity. This year, attendees learned and collaborated through a new structure - a Shannon Youth Conference - which included presentations and hands-on engagement.
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Governor Healey Signs $1.2 Billion Road Infrastructure Bill into Law
August 15, 2025
On Friday, August 8, 2025, Governor Healey signed a $1.2 billion road infrastructure bill into law. It includes a 50% increase to Chapter 90 funding, which MAPC has long advocated, bringing the funding to $300 million distributed through a formula in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) after remaining at $200 million annually for over a decade.
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Governor's Environmental Bond Bill Summary
July 16, 2025
On June 24, Governor Healey announced her long discussed Environmental Bond Bill, An Act to Build Resilience for Massachusetts Communities, or the Mass Ready Act. The bill authorizes $2.9 billion in funding over 5 years, a 20.8% increase over the previous environmental bond bill, that was signed into law in 2018. The bill includes potential investments in a number of new and existing programs as well as outside sections that touch on a wide range of policies.
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Press Releases
Current Session Press Releases
Mass Mayors and Officials Issue Statement on ICE Actions in Local Communities
June 13, 2025
“For the past several weeks, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have been entering some of our communities and arresting residents. ICE has stated that they are prioritizing the removal of people who pose a threat to public safety. However, increasingly, ICE is arresting bystanders with no criminal record and removing so-called “collaterals” without regard to the impact on our communities.”
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Mayors and Managers from 17 Communities Commit to New Climate Goals at Boston Museum of Science
May 12, 2025
Mayors and managers from 17 municipalities gathered today at the Museum of Science to commit to new regional climate goals, guiding the next five to ten years of shared action while meeting the challenges of the current moment. The Metro Mayors Coalition invited legislative leaders, heads of regional authorities, and state officials to join them in committing to the vital tasks of climate preparedness and building a more resilient and sustainable region.
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Need for Income-Restricted, Affordable Rental Housing Far Outweighs Supply in Massachusetts
April 23, 2025
New collaborative research from Housing Navigator Massachusetts, Inc. and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) measured and explored the gap between the supply of income-restricted, affordable rental housing in the Commonwealth and the number of households in need of that housing. The research found a gap of 441,000 low-income households from Cape Cod to the Berkshires without access to an affordable rental home, showing that the current supply of affordable rentals serves just 32% of low-income households.
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Our Team in Action
Current Session MAPC in Action
Click on each photo to see a larger version of it. All photos are to the credit of MAPC, unless otherwise noted.
Testifying in Support of An Act to Facilitate Site Plan Review
September 17, 2025
MAPC Land Use Director Josh Fiala tesifying before the Joint Committee on Housing with Representative Kristin Kassner and Anastasia Daou, Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP Massachusetts) in support of H.2298, An Act to Facilitate Site Plan Review.
Testifying About Protecting Massachusetts Public Health from PFAS
September 10, 2025
MAPC Senior Environmental Planner Kat Kobylt testifying in front of the Joint Committee on Public Health in support of H.2450/S.1504, An Act to Protect Massachusetts Public Health from PFAS.
Testifying in Support of the Local Option Transfer Fee
September 9, 2025
MAPC Director of Government Affairs Leah Robins, testifying before the Revenue Committee in support of the local option transfer fee.
Inaugural Sustainability Day at the State House
September 9, 2025
MAPC joined over thirty-plus organizations and hundreds of advocates for the first ever Sustainability Day at the State House. The event included a Sustainability Showcase, remarks from the Chair Nguyen and Vice Chair Ciccolo from the House Committee on Climate Action & Sustainability as well as a keynote address from Climate Chief Hoffer. MAPC's director of clean energy, Julie Curti also participated on panel on Municipal Best Practices for Climate Leadership to share how the agency can help municipalities hit their climate goals and save money.
Governor Healey's Housing Production and Environmental Regulations Press Conference
September 9, 2025
MAPC Manager of Housing and Neighborhood Development Adam Ploetz and MAPC Director of Environmental Planning Van Du, attended Governor Healey's press conference focused on the "Plan to cut environmental regulations to fast-track housing development".
Read the Governor's Office press release
Testifying in Support of An Act Relative to Language Access and Inclusion
July 22, 2025
MAPC Community Engagement Specialist Samantha Berlus testified in support of Senate Bill 2125 and House Bill 3384 An Act Relative to Language Access and Inclusion filed by Senator Sal DiDomenico and Representative Adrian Madaro before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. In addition to Samantha's testimony, Wangari Fahari, the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for Beverly virtually testified.
Testifying in Support of An Act Establishing the Massachusetts Farm to School Program
July 21, 2025
Rachel Weil, Public Health and Food Systems Planner II at MAPC, testified at the Joint Committee on Education in support of H.565 and S.311, filed by Representatives Vargas and Duffy and Senator Comerford, An Act Establishing the Massachusetts Farm to School Program.
Testifying in Support of the Governor's Environmental Bond Bill
July 15, 2025
Lizzi Weyant, MAPC's Acting Executive Director and Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director of the Franklin Region Council of Governments (FRCOG) and Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) testified in support of the Governor's Environmental Bond Bill, which includes policies and programs MAPC has long supported, such as the MVP program, and funding to repair and safeguard water infrastructure. The MAPC Government Affairs Team wrote a summary about the bill, which you can read on our Planning 101 blog: Governor's Environmental Bond Bill Summary.
Testifying in Support of An Act Relative to Affordable Housing and Environmental Adaptation Dollars (AHEAD)
July 15, 2025
MAPC was proud to join MACDC and our partners in the housing and environmental fields to testify in support of An Act Relative to Affordable Housing and Environmental Adaptation Dollars (AHEAD) filed by Sen Eldridge and Rep Montano. This bill would right size the deeds excise tax to create new affordable housing and support the development of projects that advance climate resiliency. MAPC's Land Use Director Josh Fiala testified.
Testifying in Support of H.101, "An Act establishing free broadband internet access in public housing."
July 10, 2025
MAPC was proud to join State Representative Dan Sena in support of H.101, "An Act establishing free broadband internet access in public housing." This bill would require that broadband internet be available in all public housing units. It also asserts that this service should be offered at no charge to residents and considered a requirement of a decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling. MAPC Digital Services Manager Stephen Larrick testified.
Testifying in Support of Governor Healey’s Energy Affordability Bill
June 25, 2025
Julie Curti, MAPC’s Clean Energy Director and Yi-An Huang, City Manager of Cambridge and Co-Chair of the Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC), were excited to testify in support of Governor Healey’s Energy Affordability Bill, which tackles key priorities like addressing summer utility shut off moratoriums and better regulating competitive electrical suppliers among others.
Digital Equity Day Legislative Briefing
June 25, 2025
Held at the State House and hosted by the MA Digital Equity Coalition, Senator Payano, Representatives Mendes and Sabadosa, and community members, the focus of this day was on digital equity legislation:
- S.2318/H.35.27: An Act Preserving Broadband Service for Low-Income Consumers
- H.100: An Act Establishing a Commission to Study a Statewide Credentialing Program for Navigators
- S,763/H.1130: An Act Relative to Telehealth and Digital Equity for Patients
MAPC Civic Technologist Will Pfeffer spoke at the event.
2025 Annual Council Meeting
June 4, 2025
This year’s Annual Council Meeting was a special one in numerous ways. Held at the Cahill Auditorium inside Braintree Town Hall and marking the final annual meeting for retiring Executive Director Marc Draisen, it held space four important annual celebrations, many crucial conversations, and a continuance of key MAPC traditions, notably the annual elections for Officers and Executive Committee members. Read the full recap.
2025 Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC) Climate Summit
May 12, 2025
On Monday, May 12, 2025, the mayors and managers from the Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC) came together at the Museum of Science in Boston to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the adoption of the 2015 MMC Climate Commitment, and the work accomplished thus far.
At the event, they also signed an updated 2025 MMC Climate Commitment, reiterating their shared commitment to advancing regional climate efforts.
For a full recap of the event, including more photos, news coverage, and more, please visit the Event Webpage.
Creative Sector Day at the State House
April 30, 2025
MAPC joined MASSCreative, Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, and hundreds of creative sector partners and advocates for Creative Sector Day at the State House. During the event, the Healey-Driscoll Administration released their recommendations to grow the Massachusetts creative economy. MAPC was honored to sit on the Advisory Council.
Presentations and Testimony
April 7, 2025
On April 7, Government Affairs Specialist II Georgia Barlow, Regional Planning Data Analyst II Zoe Iacovino, and Principal Regional Housing and Land Use Planner Alexis Smith presented MAPC's findings on the 2024 Condo Conversion Law Update to the Pro Housing Caucus in the State House.
Barlow also provided testimony on the Senate bill that would allow municipalities to utilize regional ballot initiatives (RBIs) to raise revenue for local transportation and infrastructure projects, as well on a panel in support of H.53, which would increase Chapter 90 funding to $300 million annually and authorize this funding level for five years.
2025 Spring Legislative Breakfasts
Various Dates in March-April, 2025
Every year, the MAPC Government Affairs Team in conjunction with MAPC's Subregional Coordinators and Subregions, host spring legislative breakfasts. These events provide the opportunity for legislative leaders in each Greater Boston subregion to join in-person with community leaders and constituents to discuss current session work.
Community Safety Day on the Hill
March 11, 2025
Youth, violence prevention leaders, law enforcement, and elected officials convened at the Massachusetts State House for the annual Community Safety Day on the Hill event, advocating for continued funding of the Senator Charles E. Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI) and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI). Read the Blog Post about this event.
Creative Sector Policy Agenda Briefing
March 4, 2025
MAPC joined the Mass Cultural Council and MassCreative at the State House for this event focused on conversations of bills, budgets, and more in relation to the creative sector in the Commonwealth.
Regional Planning Agency (RPA) Day at the State House
February 25, 2025
Executive directors and staff representing the Commonwealth’s 13 regional planning agencies gathered for a day of advocacy at the State House to brief lawmakers and staff on the wide range of completed projects across Massachusetts, from Berkshire County to Cape Cod. Hosted by Representative Paul Donato and Senator Jamie Eldridge, the event highlighted the importance of the District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) and the Grant Assistance Program (GAP), funded by the state budget and included in line item 1599 – 0026. Read the Summary Blog Post.
National Associations of Regional Councils (NARC) National Conference of Regions and Congressional Visits
February 9-12, 2025 (Washington, D.C.)
MAPC had a productive NARC Conference, and while in Washington, D.C., MAPC leadership also had the opportunity to meet with many members of our region's Congressional delegation and their staff. We appreciated the opportunity to meet with Representative Stephen Lynch, Representative Seth Moulton, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark's Office, and Representative Jake Auchincloss' Office.
Governor's Executive Order Creating a Poet Laureate Event
February 3, 2025
MAPC was proud to join Governor Healey and our partners in the arts for the signing of an executive order creating Massachusetts' first Poet Laureate. Read the Governor's Office Press Release
