波士頓市長吳弭向州政府提家規法 盼保護市民避免物業稅上漲

MAYOR WU PROPOSES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS FROM INCREASE IN TAXES CAUSED BY DECLINING COMMERCIAL VALUES Legislation would give City option to shift more of tax levy to commercial and industrial property owners only if commercial values decrease; sunset after four years

BOSTON - Thursday, March 28, 2024 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced she will file a home rule petition that would protect residential property owners from a potentially dramatic increase in their property taxes due to declining commercial property values. The proposal would allow the City to lessen increases in residential property tax bills caused by declining commercial values by temporarily shifting more of the property tax levy onto owners of commercial and industrial properties. Under the present statutory system, a significant decline in commercial property assessments will result in residential property owners paying higher taxes through a higher tax rate in order to maintain funding for critical City services, rather than an overall revenue decline. The proposal is revenue-neutral and does not increase the total amount of revenue the City is able to collect through property taxes.  “As Boston invests in revitalizing our Downtown and commercial corridors in response to shifting market trends, we are working with all stakeholders to protect residents and homeowners against sudden and dramatic tax increases,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “For our seniors on fixed incomes, for families with children, for frontline workers and all our community members, we must have the tools to address rising housing costs and keep residents in their homes.”  “The City has been closely monitoring and planning for the impacts of declining commercial real estate values on the City’s tax base,” said Chief Financial Officer Ashley Groffenberger. “By taking this proactive step, we are ensuring that we have the tools necessary to safeguard basic City services and create stability for all taxpayers.”  “The pandemic changed the way we work, and that has had a rather sudden and significant impact on commercial tax bases,” said Adam Chapdelaine, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. “In affected communities, one potential outcome is crushing property tax increases for homeowners, while commercial properties see a reduction. Already tightly constrained by the limits of Proposition 2½, affected cities and towns may want to pursue thoughtful, measured approaches like Mayor Wu’s proposal to avoid making the region’s housing cost crisis even worse.” State law allows the City, in conjunction with the City Council, to create two separate property tax rates, and by doing so, shift a portion of the property tax levy to commercial property. The present maximum shift allowed is up to 175 percent of what the commercial share would have otherwise been. The current proposal gives the City the option to modify these parameters in a thoughtful and controlled manner. For the first year of implementation, the City would have the ability to increase the classification shift to 200 percent, at the discretion of the Mayor and the City Council, if a significant drop in commercial assessments occurs. During the subsequent three years the allowable classification shift would gradually decrease and return to the currently allowed 175 percent in year five.  Initial implementation of the current proposal, if passed, could occur during any of the next three fiscal years, at the City’s election. This flexibility would allow the City the ability to initiate the alternative rate schedules only when absolutely needed. “This is a measured proposal that will deliver relief as the City adapts to the unprecedented changes to its existing tax base,” said WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn. “Ensuring that Boston is on stable, financial footing is vital for the thousands who live and work in the City, and rely on critical services like housing, education, public safety and health care. Preserving these vital services will allow Boston to continue its growth as a hub for culture, innovation, and education; a City that is welcoming to all.” “As a resident of Boston and a member of the business community, I support the City of Boston’s tax classification proposal,” said Tom O’Brien, managing partner and CEO of HYM Investment Group. “I applaud the Mayor for using all the tools in her toolbox to alleviate the financial pressures of homeowners. It is my continued hope that this proposal might soon be paired with initiatives that will encourage new growth in our city. “ “Boston is experiencing a significant housing crisis, driven by both a lack of sufficient affordable housing to meet our need and rising costs to build and operate this housing,” said Emilio Dorcely, CEO of Urban Edge. “Because continuing to increase the supply of affordable housing supported by city services is critical to the region’s overall economic success, it is imperative that Boston maintain steady revenue streams. The Wu administration’s proposal presents the opportunity to maintain a level of revenue needed to support such important work while not overburdening homeowners, affordable housing projects, and other residential buildings.” The proposal would help stabilize housing costs for Boston residents over this period of five years. An increase in residential property taxes would impact all residential property: single family homes, multi family homes, apartment buildings, and residential condominium units. Left alone, the dramatic tax increase would lead to higher costs for residents through higher tax bills for homeowners or a rent increase for renters should their landlords pass the increased costs onto them.  "The mission of Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) is to help low and moderate-income households to buy and maintain the dream of homeownership," said Symone Crawford, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance. “Given the high home prices, interest rates, insurance premiums, and general housing costs, it is especially important that we act quickly to stabilize real estate taxes for our families. Homeownership provides a sense of permanence and pride, laying down a solid foundation upon which individuals and families can build their lives with certainty and confidence.” The proposal is similar to one enacted in 2004, when Boston faced a comparable dynamic. According to a 2003 report from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, the average single-family tax bill would have increased by over 35 percent while the tax for a commercial property could decrease by 15-20 percent. Boston successfully sought similar legislation that allowed municipalities to temporarily increase the classification shift to 200 percent and step down over four years, before returning to the original maximum of 175 percent. At this level, the average residential tax bill still increased by 15 to 18 percent, with commercial taxes decreasing by five to eight percent. The legislation the City is pursuing today builds on this precedent. "As a senior with a fixed income, a large increase in my property taxes would be devastating,” said Shirley Jones, president of the Meetinghouse Hill Civic Association. “I am so grateful that the mayor is being proactive and taking action to protect residents like me across the city from these potential increases."  “It's difficult to keep residents in Boston because of the high cost of living,” said Tom Cunha, Chair of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council. “I don't want my neighbors to have to move out because of an increase in their property taxes. This temporary measure is fair and allows us to evaluate over the next 60 months." The home rule petition will be filed with the City Council, where it must be approved before being signed by the Mayor and then sent to the Massachusetts Legislature and the Governor for approval.

紐英崙三益公所迎龍年慶15週年

紐英崙三益公所迎龍年，慶15週年。(三益公所提供)

               (Boston Orange 綜合報導) 紐英崙三益公所3 月22日晚在波士頓華埠帝苑大酒樓慶祝龍年新春，以及該公所成立15週年慶。包括不畏風雨，遠從紐約趕來的40多名宗親，共有300餘人同堂共歡。

包括醒獅隊，紐約有40多名三益宗親到賀。 (三益公所提供)

              紐英崙三益公所元老，書畫家江天源，3名主席，僑立中文學校主任江輝輝，波士頓洪門致公堂主席黎亦置，以及曾任電腦公司高管，現已退休的何焯光等人，一起為來自紐約的三益公所醒獅隊授旗後，三頭瑞獅採青獻桔，拉開甲辰龍年慶祝大會。

              在江輝輝和黎亦置依序以中英文歡迎嘉賓出席厚，美東三益總公所主席江鎮城，紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝一一致詞，再由何焯光致謝詞。

              當晚來自紐約的三益宗親聲勢浩大，儘管原本預定有60人的龐大祝賀團，因暴風雨的天氣而減少為40人，但功夫架式十足的三頭醒獅，婀娜多姿且人美衫靚的婦女組歌舞團，都為這場龍年慶祝活動平添氣氛，讓宗親們笑顏逐開。

紐約三益醒獅隊出動三頭瑞獅。 (三益公所提供)

              紐約三益婦女部這晚跳了「杏花落」，「吉祥如意」等舞蹈，美東三益總公所主席也演唱了一首他自己創作的歌曲「等」，充分展現了紐約三益來賀心意。

              紐英崙三益公所不遑人後，也有蝶戀花舞蹈隊表演雙人舞「恭喜發財」、「梅花獻」、龍騰歌舞隊合唱「歡樂年年」、「迎春花」，表演雙人旗袍伍 「國色天香」。

紐約三益醒獅隊出動三頭瑞獅。 (三益公所提供)

              到了卡拉OK環節，紐約三益和波士頓三益輪番出場，以示互相支持。江輝輝和江鎮城合唱「讓我喜歡讓我憂」之後，三益總公所婦女部的晶晶演唱「平安是幅」，紐英崙三益的黎雯演唱「賀新年」、「上海灘」。

              從2014年起擔任紐英崙三益公所主席的江輝輝透露，該會採登記制，現有會員80多人，歡迎江黎何三姓宗親加入該會，聯絡情誼。

黎雯(中)與三益合唱團一起獻唱。(三益公所提供)

三益婦女部獻舞。(三益公所提供)

紐英崙中華公所錢多事繁 亟需專才加入營運團隊

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝做主席報告。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 紐英崙中華公所 (CCBA) 3月26日晚的董事大會，爆大喜訊，投資小組促成公所利息收入陡增約10倍，2024年度預計盈餘20餘萬元；雷國輝主席報告長達2頁半，彰顯出中華公所錢多事繁，亟需整頓，增聘工作人員的現況。

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝做主席報告。(周菊子攝)

              3月26日晚的中華公所會議流程和往常一樣，先檢討上一次會議紀錄，訂正後通過，接者主席報告，物業、章程/選舉、財政小組報告。在今年一月正式成立投資小組後，這天還增加了投資小組報告。

              波士頓內的華埠土地信託會 (CCLT)正在推動把華埠變成一個歷史文化區的計畫，這晚特地到中華公所，向共有41名董事，5名職員，代表波士頓華埠16個姓氏公所，17個僑團組織的中華公所介紹該會，說明其計畫，呼籲在把波士頓華埠變成一個文化歷史區這使命上，攜手合作，

財政陳余寶愛報告中華公所銀行帳戶利息收入陡增10倍。
(周菊子攝)

              紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝的報告，這次頗長，從中華公所事務，投資小組進展，到物業近況，包括大同村，華福樓最新事務，以及哈露街 (Herald) 50號，博愛樓的相關事宜。

              在中華公所事務部分，雷國輝除了報告中華公所於2月11日在帝苑大酒樓舉辦的龍年春宴，有包括波士頓市長吳弭在內的500多人參加，2月18日的醒獅巡遊賀歲，盛況有萬人空巷之勢，以及他代表中華公所出席了許多慶祝新年活動。

投資小組周萬欽(左)向董事大會說明利息陡增，一部份原因是銀行利率前一陣子調漲。
(周菊子攝)

              麻州政府去年指定撥款10萬元，給中華公所辦理英語班，礙於中華公所翻修，去年未能辦理，麻州政府也未撥交這筆款項。今年中華公所積極著手辦理，已聘請3名老師，從2月底開始每週一考試，以鑑定學生英語能力做分班依據，目前已有約30到40名學生報名。

紐英崙中華公所開今年的第2次董事會。(周菊子攝)

              關於中華公所欠華埠慈善信託款項一事，雷國輝表示，中華公所和波士頓計畫發展局 (BPDA)負責此事的Aaron Hallquist談過。BPDA希望中華公所在該局改組前，歸還這筆錢，但中華公所希望確保這筆錢將來用於華人社區，而不是廣泛的亞裔社區。雷國輝表示，BPDA認為中華公所應歸還37萬2620元，另有19萬元目前由該局管理中。

華埠土地信託會主席李素影向中華公所董事們介紹該會。(周菊子攝)

              至於要求波士頓計畫發展局派員到中華公所說明，關於重新規劃波士頓華埠區域劃分一事，雷國輝說明，經中華公所、華埠社區議會和波士頓華埠商會要求，BPDA在之前為多個華埠社區團體舉辦過說明會之後，3月18日再為這3團體舉辦了一次說明會。出席這次會議的30多人，向BPDA表達了放寬華埠樓宇的高度80尺，以及密度限制，增加建造適合中等收入者的房屋類型，明定商鋪樓上屋宇的用途可由住宅改為商用，以增加華埠商業用地，擴大華埠的經濟發展機會。

              雷國輝在會中指出，中華公所和社區領袖為此也和波士頓市長吳弭親自討論過。

中華公所董事們圍桌開會。(周菊子攝)

              物業部分，雷國輝報告了中華公所大樓的冷暖系統更新工程，停車場重新規劃，正向波士頓市政府申請推薦公司免費製作排碳報告，以及為因應保險公司的要求租戶自行購買責任險及財務保險，中華公所計畫修訂租約。

              長期在中華公所大樓租用地方的李氏信託，已於2024年初遷出。         

              大同村的翻修，由於物業小組認為Causeway繳交的建議書內容空泛，現正敦請中華公所顧問Peter Munkenbeck另外向Beacon公司索取建議書，以做比較。

              雷國輝也在會中報告，華福樓及大同村的物業管理服務，已從原本的Winn轉交給和中華公所合做發展大同村停車場的Beacon公司的Beacon Resident 承辦。

              哈露街50號部分，現有2家公司提交發展計畫。中華公所將和2家公司面談後，再進一步討論。

              由大同村南停車場改建而成的博愛樓，預定今年秋季竣工，屆時將由負責物業管理的Beacon Resident依照政府規定，辦理招租。

              雷國輝在主席報告中，還報告了中華公所和波士頓安良工商會合作，3月9、10兩日，分別在Dorchester和中華公所禮堂，舉辦了”龍騰盃”乒乓球賽，A組由華埠團隊奪冠。

              中華公所中文書記，也是章程/選舉小組召集人的翁宇才當晚在會中坦承，上個月未召開小組會議，在今年年初成立投資小組後，將重新檢視現有章程中的僑團組織及相關條文。

              今年1月的中華公所董事大會通過由9人組成投資小組。經提名並投票後，由余麗媖，陳仕維，何遠光，陳黃海蘭，陳家驊，周萬欽，李德源，蔡倩婷，鄺炎彬依得票數成為投資小組成員。

              財政小組召集人暨中華公所財政陳余寶愛交給中華公所董事們一份2024營運預算，以及厚約30頁的財政摘要報告，資產負債表，損益表，和帳戶存提明細。

              根據該報告，截至2024年2月29日，中華公所的資產負債額為1106萬8505元，2024年的營運預算，估計會有98萬餘元收入，78萬餘元的支出，約20萬元盈餘。其中支出部分，註明的顧問、承包商包括鄭柏豪 (Edbert Cheng)，羅燕玲 (Nancy Lo)，Iphigenia Demitriades，以及Bao Zhu Cen，共約13萬6480元，員工薪資及相關成本約33萬6千餘元，明顯可見中華公所的營運，已然不像早年那麼單純。

              陳余寶愛在會中特地指出，由於投資小組內有具康州保險局總精算師身份的周萬欽這樣的董事，經投資小組分析，調整中華公所的銀行帳戶後，僅只是一個月，都有中華公所銀行戶口利息，從695元跳升至63589元，大同村帳戶的銀行戶口，利息從7338元跳升至18萬2537元的巨大變化。

中華公所董事們聽到這一報告，紛紛鼓掌，表揚周萬欽等投資小組成員。

              紐英崙中華公所今年跨入雷國輝主席等職員原班人馬連任的新年度，公所董事部分，41人中換了5名新人，昭倫公所原為許揚威，今年改由謝如鍵出席，溯源公所從鄺元傑改為鄺炎彬，黃氏宗親會的3個席位中，黃光沐改為黃偉健，其餘的黃國威，黃光野不變，余風采堂的2個席位，余國華改為該公所現任主席，退休前為電腦工程師的余立昌，另一席余積堯驍不變。王氏青年會由於該會主管Patricia Barnwell離任，改由該會董事會主席，現任昆士中學校長的張可仁出席。

              紐英崙中華公所在跨入錢多事繁董事有新人的發展中，是否能像中華公所主席雷國輝上任以來一直強調的要為社區提供更多服務，值得新英格蘭地區華人關注。

麻州推動羅爾創新迴廊計畫 期盼創造37議員經濟活動

 Governor Healey Announces Transformative Economic Development Project in Lowell 

Draper to anchor the development, bringing hundreds of jobs to Lowell region    

LOWELL –Governor Maura T. Healey today announced a major milestone in a transformative project that will bring new housing, economic development, technology jobs and workforce development to downtown Lowell. The research non-profit, Draper Laboratory (Draper) will become an anchor tenant in the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), a transformative public-private partnership made possible by the leadership of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), the UMass Building Authority (UMBA) and the City of Lowell, with significant support from the Healey-Driscoll administration. 

The announcement was made at UMass Lowell with Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Lowell City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr., University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, UMBA Executive Director Barbara Kroncke, and Draper President and CEO Jerry Wohletz. 

The project is expected to generate over $3.7 billion in economic activity and create 2,000 permanent jobs over the next decade. It will also create 1,300 construction jobs and result in nearly 500 units of new housing in Lowell, along with several million dollars in new annual property tax revenues to the City. 

“This is nothing short of a transformational economic development project for Lowell, the region, and Massachusetts. The next great innovation hub is going to be right here in Lowell,” said Governor Healey. “The LINC will generate billions in economic activity, create thousands of jobs and hundreds of units of urgently needed housing, and expand workforce training for our students. We’re grateful for the partnership of Congresswoman Trahan, the City of Lowell, and the University of Massachusetts to make this transformative project possible. We welcome the addition of Draper to the LINC Project and hope that other innovators will see the incredible opportunities here in Lowell.” 

“The LINC will have significant impacts on Lowell’s economic competitiveness,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “It will create more housing so that students and workers can afford to live here, bring new jobs to the area, and make critical improvements to the UMass Lowell campus to support the cutting-edge, innovative work they are doing. This administration is deeply committed to Lowell’s success and we are proud to be working on this project with so many dedicated partners.” 

“There has never been a better time to call Lowell home. We’ve secured unprecedented federal, state, and private sector funding to position the Mill City for a multi-billion dollar economic and jobs boom over the next ten years,” said Congresswoman Lori Trahan. “Much of that will be anchored in the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, which will be home to cutting edge businesses like Draper, leading R&D initiatives, and hundreds of housing units. I’m proud to have worked alongside the City of Lowell, UMass Lowell, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, and industry to create a public private partnership that will provide investments in the LINC and downtown so we can continue driving Lowell’s tremendous revitalization.” 

“We are thrilled to support this transformational project in an important Gateway City,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “The Lowell Innovation Network Corridor will ensure that we are creating big wins for life sciences, climatetech, and other innovative industries not just in Greater Boston, but across the state.” 

A cornerstone of the LINC will be a new research building on UMass Lowell’s East Campus that will be the future home of Draper’s microelectronics division. This will result in hundreds of new jobs being located in Lowell, and the building will serve as an anchor to Massachusetts’ next regional innovation hub.  

The Healey-Driscoll administration has committed to working with the City of Lowell and the University of Massachusetts to support this project with available state funding. Final terms are under development. 

Healey touted the leadership of UMass President Marty Meehan, UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, UMBA Executive Director Barbara Kroncke, Draper President and CEO Jerry M. Wohletz, and Lowell City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr., saying she expected additional organizations would be announcing expansion into university and city facilities through the LINC project in the coming months. 

“Today has been a long time coming,” said University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, an alumnus and former chancellor of UMass Lowell, who started the process of acquiring property related to the LINC development while chancellor and has remained actively engaged in those efforts as president. “It takes patience, perseverance and vision to turn initiatives like this from dream to reality, and it is Governor Healey who has provided the bold leadership to make today happen. The combination of a welcoming community like my hometown, a world-class public university, and an industry-leading employer like Draper – all supported by strategic state investment – will bring enormous economic benefits to the city of Lowell and its residents.” 

“UMass Lowell has a wide range of top-tier faculty expertise and we partner with organizations across many different industries,” said Julie Chen, Chancellor of UMass Lowell. “Thanks to the Healey-Driscoll administration and partners like Draper, UMass Lowell will be able to dramatically scale up research around aerospace, human performance, advanced textiles, robotics, sensors and many other sectors that will bring a diversity of education and job opportunities to Lowell.” 

“Our expansion to Lowell marks a significant milestone in our mission to drive innovation in assachusetts and across the U.S.,” said Dr. Jerry M. Wohletz, chief executive officer and president at Draper. “We are grateful to Governor Healey, her team, and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell for their partnership. Universities are engines of innovation, with powerful ideas that the world needs, but making those ideas real is no small task. Draper is here to help with mentorships, prototype testing and development and opportunities for customer collaborations that result in fielded and deployed solutions.” 

Lowell City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. said the city is thrilled to welcome Draper to Lowell and believes the collaborative work with the university on LINC will bring in more firms who have connections to the university and want to work closely with organizations like Draper. 

“LINC will retain and attract professionals to Lowell as well as ramp up economic development entertainment and culture for Lowell residents,” Golden said, adding that the city and UMass Lowell are also planning infrastructure improvements as more people live and work in Lowell. 

Visit https://www.lowell-inc.com/ to learn more about LINC and the strategic plans to drive economic development in Lowell. 

麻州早期教育及托兒照顧工作小組上路 今日召開第一次會議

Healey-Driscoll Administration Kicks Off Early Education and  Child Care Task Force 

Governor Healey employs a whole-of-government approach to make child care more affordable and accessible 

ROXBURY – Members of the Healey-Driscoll Administration kicked off today the first meeting of the Early Education and Child Care Task Force at Horizons for Homeless Children in Roxbury. Earlier this year, Governor Healey signed Executive Order 625 that established this task force, recognizing the essential role child care plays in driving the state’s economy and competitiveness forward. The order directs her administration to take a whole-of-government approach to lead the nation in ensuring affordable, high-quality child care. These efforts are a key component of the administration’s ‘Gateway to Pre-k’ agenda to make early education and child care more affordable and accessible for all families across Massachusetts. 

“We know that far too many parents find it difficult to return to the workforce because of the high cost of child care, and providers are facing the difficult decision between continuing in the profession they love or leaving for a higher-paid career,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Child care is central to the success of our entire state – for affordability, education, workforce, equity, and our economic potential – and together we are taking important steps toward solutions.” 

“The Early Education and Child Care Task Force will better equip Massachusetts to make our early education and care system work better for everyone, so that our youngest learners can access the high-quality education they need to succeed in school and beyond, while also supporting our local economy and communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We look forward to the recommendations they develop so that we can take bigger and bolder action across our administration.” 

The Early Education and Child Care Task Force is chaired by the Secretaries of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Economic Development, and includes all other secretariats or their designees. 

“Within my first week in this administration, Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll let me know that they were looking for a solution for the challenges facing our child care system. The Early Education and Child Care Task Force will be instrumental in bringing thoughtful and innovative solutions to the table to ensure Massachusetts leads in addressing the challenges we are seeing in early education and care today,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “I look forward to engaging with experts from the other Executive Offices to transform how we approach early education and care.” 

“Child care and early education are critical enablers for economic growth in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “Through this task force, the administration will take a whole-of-government approach to ensure that the state has equitable child care solutions to meet the needs of the workforce and economy, making Massachusetts the best place to raise a family, grow a business, and succeed in a fulfilling career.” 

“Affordable, accessible, and quality child care is a significant infrastructure needed in Massachusetts, and an imperative to drive the state’s economic competitiveness,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “I look forward to working with my colleagues across government and with business and community partners to build a strong pipeline of early childhood educators and also enhance the system to encourage our untapped talent to fully participate in our workforce.” 

“The administration's ‘Gateway to Pre-K' agenda sets Massachusetts on the path towards fundamentally transforming our early education system. We are not only looking at what is within EEC to advance, but are also working with our colleagues across state government to see how their unique expertise and leadership can promote accessible and affordable child care. Team Massachusetts is utilizing all tools available so our youngest students can enter school ready for success, while helping families work and drive our economy forward,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. 

The Task Force will engage with industry and business leaders, organized labor, health services stakeholders, housing and planning experts, working parents and caregivers, and child care providers and experts in order to craft recommendations aligned with the following five policy objectives:

• Surveying practices of other states in reducing costs, increasing capacity, and improving quality of child care providers and making recommendations for how such practices could be adopted in Massachusetts;
• Assessing how better coordination among state agencies could support families in accessing child care that meets their needs, including through technology improvements;
• Identifying resources for building capacity and increasing affordability in the state’s mixed-delivery child care system, including from the federal government, the philanthropic community, and employers, which may include exploring incentives for employers to assist employees with child care;
• Identifying strategies to recruit, train, upskill, and retain members of the child care workforce, including by expanding apprenticeship initiatives, higher education programs, and training opportunities;
• Reviewing existing assets to identify potential locations to establish center-based care, which shall include consulting with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance regarding their work identifying surplus and underutilized land for housing pursuant to executive Order No. 623. 

“We have worked hard over the first 15 months of our administration to identify and build into our state budget the essential resources needed to build up and support our child care providers, educators, and families. While these efforts have been critical to stabilize our early education system and make it more affordable for families, we know more can be done. I look forward to the work of this task force and exploring all ways we can strengthen this important pillar of our educational and economic future,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. 

"As we continue to invest in climatetech and clean energy industries, we must also prioritize investments in the future of our children and families. By doing so, we can ensure that we build a sustainable future that benefits everyone," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "The Early Education and Child Care Task Force is a call to action for all of government, aimed at fulfilling the needs of all our residents by offering more affordable and accessible child care." 

"Families across Massachusetts uniquely know what they need in order to help their children thrive," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh. "For every child to reach their full potential, we need to help them get their healthiest start by implementing innovative technology across all of our different agencies that allows for access to affordable, equitable, and high-quality child care. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services is excited to work with all of the other Secretariats in this task force to make this this an affordable reality, knowing it will take the work of many." 

“The Early Education and Child Care Task Force will help Massachusetts families thrive,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “Access to housing and affordable child care are top priorities for the Healey-Driscoll Administration. Because children need stable housing to be able to focus on their homework, and parents need reliable and affordable child care to build a better future for their loved ones. This task force, along with the Affordable Homes Act helps us reach these important goals.”  

“The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security is deeply committed to supporting our state and local public safety personnel by ensuring access to high quality and affordable child care that meets the unique needs of emergency responders,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “We look forward to working collaboratively across state government at the direction of Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll to identify innovative solutions that support families and contribute to our ability to recruit and retain the next generation of public safety professionals.” 

“The Early Education Task Force is a great example of this Administration’s recognition that important issues like affordable, high-quality child care need teamwork across issue areas and breaking down information silos,” said Technology Services and Security Secretary Jason Snyder. “EOTSS believes that the best policy decisions must be data-driven, and I look forward to finding means for data and technology to drive the transformative goals of this Task Force.” 

“We all play a part in helping our young people succeed and thrive wherever they live. Safety, access, and opportunity are at the core of the state’s transportation system and are critical elements of the Early Education and Child Care Task Force,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “We stand ready to work with the Task Force and the Healey-Driscoll Administration to further these goals and advance the administration’s vision for early education success.” 

“The Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) is proud to collaborate with our fellow secretariats across the cabinet to contribute to this vital initiative aimed at making high-quality child care more accessible and affordable for families statewide. By unleashing the potential of every child through robust early education and care, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future for all," said Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago. 

Task Force members will meet monthly and report annually to Governor Healey on the status of its work, including any interim or final recommendations, the results and findings of any implemented pilot programs, and on any initiatives or policy changes made within secretariats to increase access to and affordability of high-quality child care. Learn more about the Task Force at Mass.gov/ChildCareTaskForce.