State accepting statements of interest for Move-In MA program

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is looking for municipalities interested in identifying sites that could be developed into affordable housing at minimal cost.

The office is now accepting statements of interest for the proposed Move-In MA initiative on a rolling basis. The state will rely on this feedback to evaluate the demand and viability for launching the program later in 2026.

Housing and Livable Communities launched its initial request for information in July to gauge the interest of municipalities in assisting with a middle-income homeownership program that the state is considering.

The program would use standardized offsite construction to build single-family starter homes at a much lower cost so that they can be sold affordably to middle-income individuals and families.

The state is seeking sites that could be developed by a nonprofit or local developer at low or no cost, with minimal site prep work required. The state would need zoning and other municipal support for such a program to work, so that the homes could be built and installed within about 12 months.

As part of the program, the state would provide a zero-interest loan to cover the cost of the housing development, which would then be recycled once it was sold to an income-eligible buyer.

Phil Dearing, assistant director of policy at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, gave a presentation about Move-In MA during a meeting of the Local Government Advisory Commission on Sept. 8.

Housing and Livable Communities held an informational session about the program on Aug. 12, and the slide deck is available online (scroll to bottom of page).

For more information, visit the Move-In MA webpage or email [email protected].