Press Release: 4/14/2026

Healey-Driscoll Administration Designates 29 Housing Choice Communities, Expanding Opportunities to Rural and Small Towns

 



New designation ensures every region of Massachusetts can access tools to build more housing



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



4/13/2026



MEDIA CONTACT



HLC Communications



 Online



Email HLC Communications at hlcpress@mass.gov



GILL — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced 29 Housing Choice Community designations, recognizing cities and towns that are taking concrete steps to support housing production and providing them exclusive access to apply for the state’s Housing Choice Grant Program.



This year’s designations include the first communities recognized under the Rural and Small Town Housing Choice designation, created in direct response to feedback from rural and small towns to ensure that communities of all sizes can participate in the state’s housing strategy.



With this year’s designations, Massachusetts now has 92 designated Housing Choice Communities statewide, including 65 Housing Choice Communities and 27 Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Communities. This year also marks the largest number of rural and small towns ever designated through the initiative. For the first time, every county in the state has at least one designated Housing Choice Community.  



“Massachusetts needs more housing in every part of our state, and that means recognizing that communities have different needs, different challenges and different opportunities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are working with communities to create more homes, bring down costs and make it easier for people to stay in the places they love. By expanding this program to rural and small towns, we are making sure every region has the tools to be part of the solution.” 



“Communities across Massachusetts are stepping up to help meet our housing challenge, and this year’s designations reflect the range of approaches communities are taking to support housing growth,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “From larger cities and suburbs to rural and small towns, these communities are showing that every region has a role to play in creating more housing.” 



“This year’s designations recognize communities across Massachusetts that are stepping up to support housing production, while also reflecting what rural and small-town leaders said they needed from this program,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matias. “We listened to that feedback and acted on it because communities of every size need tools that reflect their realities and support their efforts to create more housing.” 



Designated Communities:




  1. Ayer

  2. Bedford

  3. Bernardston

  4. Bolton

  5. Buckland

  6. Burlington

  7. Deerfield

  8. Douglas

  9. Easthampton

  10. Edgartown

  11. Franklin

  12. Gardner

  13. Gill

  14. Great Barrington

  15. Hamilton

  16. Harvard

  17. Haverhill

  18. Lexington

  19. Lincoln

  20. Lynn

  21. Melrose

  22. New Salem

  23. Newton

  24. Oak Bluffs

  25. Sherborn

  26. Uxbridge

  27. Wellesley

  28. Westport

  29. Wrentham



All 15 rural and small towns that applied in 2026 received the new designation. Over the past five years, these communities have collectively produced 8,696 units and implemented pro-housing policies that helped earn their designation. 



This year’s designation round includes six communities in Western Massachusetts: Bernardston, Buckland, Deerfield, Easthampton, Gill and Great Barrington, bringing the total number of Housing Choice Communities in the 413 region to 11, the highest level to date. 



Designated communities receive exclusive access to apply for the Housing Choice Grant Program and receive additional benefits through other participating state programs. Since the start of the initiative, Housing Choice Communities have produced 79 percent of all homes in Massachusetts, including more than 71% of homes built in the past five years. 



The Housing Choice Initiative supports communities that are creating housing and advancing local planning and zoning practices to make it easier to build the homes Massachusetts residents need. 



These investments build on the administration’s broader efforts to make Massachusetts more affordable by increasing housing production, lowering costs, expanding homeownership programs and connecting residents with the stable homes and services they need to succeed. These include expanding down payment assistance and lowering mortgage rates to make it easier for Massachusetts residents to buy their first home. At the same time, to build more homes, the governor has taken action to speed up the permitting process, turn state land into thousands of new homes, convert downtown commercial space into apartments and create a first-in-the-nation fund to finance mixed-income development in a time of high interest rates. She also legalized Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and this year, her administration will be offering low-cost financing and free designs for anyone who wants to add an ADU to their home. To help people afford their mortgages and rents right now, she banned mandatory renter-paid broker fees, gave seniors up to $2,800 a year to help with housing costs, and expanded home inspection protections.