Partnership not preemption: How the ROAD to Housing Act delivers for our communities

From the Beacon, Summer 2026

Across the Commonwealth, municipal leaders know that addressing our housing crisis is not a task for tomorrow; it is an urgent requirement of today. Every day, our select boards, city councils, and town managers are on the front lines balancing the critical need for new, attainable housing with the distinct infrastructure realities and historical character of our neighborhoods.

For years, the MMA has championed a core principle: the most effective way to build sustainable housing is through robust partnerships, not top-down mandates. State and federal policies work best when they empower local officials rather than bypassing local community input.

That is why the recent federal enactment of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents such a historic win for Massachusetts cities and towns. Passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, this landmark housing package delivers exactly what local leaders have been asking for: substantial resources and regulatory relief to spur housing growth, wrapped in an explicit guardrail that respects and protects local zoning authority.

Massachusetts local leaders owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our own U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren for her steadfast leadership and fierce advocacy in steering this legislation across the finish line. Sen. Warren’s deep understanding of the unique challenges facing Bay State municipalities ensured that the final bill delivers maximum resources to the local level while firmly defending the principle of local home rule.

The most critical takeaway for municipal leaders is what the ROAD to Housing Act does not do: It does not contain federal preemptions or unfunded mandates. The framers of this legislation correctly recognized that zoning and land-use decisions are best made at the local level, not by distant federal agencies.

Instead of forcing a rigid, one-size-fits-all framework onto our diverse landscape — from the Berkshires to Cape Cod — the law provides carrots rather than sticks. It establishes new capacity-building assistance and toolkits for communities looking to modernize their local ordinances on their own terms, explicitly forbidding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from penalizing any municipality that chooses not to adopt federal zoning models.

Rather than stripping away local oversight, the law supercharges the tools we already use by injecting flexibility and capital directly into municipal hands.

The housing challenges facing Massachusetts are complex, but the ROAD to Housing Act proves that progress doesn’t require sacrificing the local voice. By equipping municipalities with financial flexibility and slicing through federal bureaucracy, Washington is treating local governments as the trusted partners we are.

We thank Sen. Warren for championing a bill that respects local governance, and we thank the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation for their unity on this front. Over the next 12 to 24 months, federal agencies will begin the process of rulemaking and rolling out these grant opportunities. The MMA will be actively tracking this implementation, providing technical assistance, and ensuring that Bay State communities are positioned at the front of the line to capture these historic resources.

When we support local leadership, we build stronger communities. The ROAD to Housing Act gives us the tools to do exactly that.