After the House and Senate both included versions of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) in the Economic Development bill, advocates push for strongest version of TOPA to be included in final bill.
BOSTON, MA—The TOPA Coalition, a broad coalition of over 70 organizations supporting the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)—including affordable housing producers, housing abundance groups, tenant organizations, and others from across the state—is thrilled that both the House and Senate included, in their respective Economic Development bills, a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act aimed at giving tenants the opportunity to collectively purchase their buildings when these are up for sale.
We are grateful to both the House and the Senate for taking this critical step forward through the Economic Development Bill to protect the rights of tenants and help to preserve housing, at a time when so many are struggling to afford safe and secure housing. We cannot address the housing crisis without preserving the affordable housing that we have. TOPA provides a tool to help do that and is designed to work together with new production. We are proud that TOPA was one of the only amendments to be adopted by both branches.
Thank you to Speaker Ron Mariano, Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, Senate President Karen Spilka, Chairman Mike Rodrigues and Economic Development Chairs Carole Fiola and Barry Finegold for their work in crafting this Economic Development Bill. We are especially grateful to Representatives Jay Livingstone, Rob Consalvo and Christine Barber and Senators Pat Jehlen, Adam Gomez and Lydia Edwards for their ongoing championship and partnership—this victory could not have been accomplished without them.
We are lucky to live in a state like Massachusetts where legislative leaders recognize the importance of protecting tenant rights and taking swift action to address the housing crisis and protect naturally occurring affordable housing.
The House and Senate both passingTOPA provisions represents an important step forward in enshrining these tenant protections into law. We look forward to the work of the conference committee and urge the inclusion of the strongest version of TOPA in the final bill.
ABOUT THE TOPA COALITION
The TOPA Coalition is a broad coalition of affordable housing developers, housing production and preservation groups, tenant organizations, and more from across the state who have been working to pass the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act for more than a decade. TOPA is endorsed by over 70 organizations. More information can be found at: https://www.topa4ma.org/.
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