Take Action on TOPA today!
In the last legislative term, the TOPA bill was attached to the Economic Development bill and approved by both houses, only to be vetoed by the Governor after the close of the session. Given that history and success, we are advocating for the most rapid consideration and advancement of TOPA in this session, and we will be relying on your support to accomplish this.
Now is the time to take action! Please contact your senator and representative (look up here) to ask them to cosponsor one or both of the pending TOPA bills: H.1426, (filed by Representatives Livingstone and Consalvo); S.890 (filed by Senator Jehlen). The two bills are identical. Please ask the recipient to co sponsor either or both of the bills.
When you reach out, please share your personal perspective on why TOPA is important to you and your community. You may use the following script as a guideline:
"Hello Senator/Representative ____. As your constituent, I ask that you please co-sponsor H.1426 and S.890, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, also known as the ‘act to guarantee tenants right of first refusal.’ As you are aware, much of Massachusetts has been suffering a housing crisis for years. People are being forced from their homes and communities and displaced from neighborhoods where they have grown up and wish to remain. In the wake of the Covid -19 pandemic there is every expectation that out of state and foreign investors will be buying up distressed rental properties and forcing tenants out to a greater degree than what happened after the 2008 financial crisis. TOPA is critical now to address pandemic-related housing speculation and to help tenants keep their homes."
State your address when contacting the legislators so that the legislator understands that they are being contacted by a constituent.
Contact Cole at chuang@bnclt.org to let them know which legislators you have contacted, how you contacted them (by email or phone), and whether you have received a response.
Thank you so much for your advocacy!