Rep. Connolly believes that housing is a human right, and not a commodity for Wall Street to gamble with. He works to build the movement for guaranteed housing for all, strong tenant protections including a tenant's right of first refusal and just cause eviction, and the construction of publicly-owned housing. In his first term, Rep. Connolly was appointed to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing, where he has been a voice for Cambridge and Somerville residents who are struggling to keep up with rising rents or looking to purchase a home.
Rep. Connolly is proud to work closely with local partners such as the Somerville Community Corporation, Just-A-Start, Inc., Cambridge Residents Alliance, A Better Cambridge, the Chinese Progressive Association, City Life/Vida Urbana, and Union United, along with Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, Homes for Families, the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending, and the Coalition for the Homeless.
In his first term, Rep. Connolly has proudly:
- Filed H.3512 - An Act supporting affordable housing with a local option for a fee to be applied to certain real estate transactions enabling municipalities to levy fees on the transfer of real estate to fund local affordable housing projects
- Voted to enact H.4134 - An Act financing the production and preservation of housing for low and moderate income residents which authorized $1.7 billion of bonds to support investments in low and moderate income housing throughout the Commonwealth, including a co-sponsored amendment to increase the Community Investment Tax Credit to $12 million per
- Co-sponsored H.2420 - An Act building for the future of the Commonwealth reforming planning, zoning, and permitting laws to support communities that work for families and seniors and encouraging more housing production.
- Co-sponsored H.3017 - An Act to preserve affordable housing through a local option tenant's right to purchase allowing tenants the first right to purchase a building at a previously agreed on price.
- Co-sponsored H.659 - An Act to protect families experiencing homelessness from having to sleep in unsafe places striking the requirement families must prove they have resided in an area unfit for human habitation before they are eligible for emergency shelter.
- Co-sponsored H.4142, The Jim Brooks Stabilization Act, which requires landlords to provide tenants information concerning their legal rights and resources when serving a notice to quit or other notice of lease non-renewal or expiration; the Brooks Act also creates expanded protections for former-homeowner evictions.
Where Rep. Connolly is talking about this:
- House takes action on affordable housing, Somerville Times, Feb. 8 2018.
- Rep. Connolly’s real estate transfer fee bill, aid to affordable housing, heard Thursday, Cambridge Day, Oct. 30, 2017.
- Celebration held for affordable housing funding, Cambridge Chronicle, Aug. 18 2017.
- Leadership in legislature plays to strengths of Connolly with its committee assignments, Cambridge Day, Feb. 19, 2017.