Housing
“Housing continues to be the most urgent issue that Cape Codders and Islanders face. For too many year-round families, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket have become profoundly unaffordable.
If we do not fundamentally change our course on housing, we will lose more and more of our year-round families and young people who call our special region home. I will continue delivering on Beacon Hill for common sense solutions that make housing more affordable and attainable for everyone.”
— Julian Cyr
Senator Cyr is a member of the Joint Committee on Housing.
Making Housing Attainable
ATTAINABLE HOUSING IN SEASONAL COMMUNITIES
Julian has prioritized housing reforms to address our unaffordable and deeply unbalanced real estate market. While much of the housing debate on Beacon Hill has focused on Greater Boston, Julian has consistently emphasized the needs of the Cape and Islands. Most recently, in 2024, he established in law a Seasonal Community designation within the Affordable Homes Act, enabling Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket to implement specialized policies to address the region's unique housing needs.
KEEPING TENANTS IN THEIR HOMES
Julian helped expand the Massachusetts Housing Court to Barnstable County during his first budget debate as State Senator for the Cape and Islands, allowing the region to finally access the Tenancy Preservation Program. This program extension offered critical protections to vulnerable and disabled tenants looking to stay in their homes. Most recently, he has worked to secure subsidies for landlords that rent their units on a year-round basis to better support the individuals and families who make the Cape and Islands their home.
HOUSING OPTIONS FOR SENIORS
Many older adults want to stay on the Cape and Islands when they are ready to downsize, though too few housing units are available in their home communities. Julian supports zoning reform that would increase the housing supply and build the units needed for seniors, including the Affordable Homes Act’s provision that permits Accessory Dwelling Units by-right in single family zoning districts.
A FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Too many young people on the Cape and Islands cannot stay and make a life here because of the unaffordable costs of housing. Julian is fighting for a transfer fee on luxury home sales to create and preserve year-round housing so working families can afford to build a life, pursue careers, and thrive on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
Pushing for Tax Relief
INCREASING THE TITLE V SEPTIC SYSTEM TAX CREDIT
Failed Title V septic systems put the region’s sole-source aquifers, estuaries and embayments, marine life, and commercial and recreational use of local waters at considerable risk. Julian tripled the existing Title V septic repair and replacement tax credit to lessen the burden carried by taxpayers bearing the cost of septic system upgrades. Julian helped triple the maximum total tax credit, increasing the credit from $6,000 to $18,000, and made the tax credit available sooner by increasing the available annual credits from $1,500 to $4,000 per year. Now, the tax credit covers 60 percent of total project costs up to $40,000, a substantial increase over the prior covered amount of 40 percent of total project costs up to $15,000.
PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR YEAR-ROUND RENTALS
Much of the year-round rental housing stock on the Cape & Islands has been lost to short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. In 2023, Senator Cyr proposed and passed a policy that would allow municipalities to opt-in to property tax exemptions for landlords who rent year-round units at an affordable rate. This initiative aimed to address the housing challenges faced by teachers, firefighters, police officers, restaurant workers, and others who struggle to find affordable rental housing. This municipal tax exemption was designed to encourage landlords to rent to year-round residents, providing a vital tool to retain year-round rental options.
TAX CREDITS FOR LEAD REMOVAL, CONTAINMENT AND ABATEMENT
Julian has prioritized childhood lead poisoning prevention since he first took office in 2017 and successfully pushed for the doubling of tax credits for families seeking to remove the danger of lead poisoning from their homes. Exposure to lead can cause severe and irreversible damage to humans, particularly to the mental and physical development of children under age six. Children exposed to lead can experience diminished intellectual abilities and higher rates of neurobehavioral disorders. Higher blood lead concentrations can cause overt symptoms, including vomiting, serious illness, and even death. By increasing the tax credit for abatement to $3,000 — and $1,000 for families pursuing an emergency management plan — we can decrease the risk of lead exposure for all Massachusetts residents.
Preserving Year-Round Housing
The need for year-round housing on the Cape & Islands has never been higher. The demand for second and third homes drives our real estate market, in which limited supply and voracious demand leave first-time homebuyers unable to compete. Property owners and landlords have increasingly turned to seasonal rentals, enabled through the popularity of online short-term rental platforms. These factors and more have decimated the stock of year-round rental and ownership options. The Cape and Islands are at the point where many cannot continue to afford to live here. The Seasonal Community designation will provide a much needed boost so that towns across Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket have more tools to help alleviate the housing crisis.
Leading on Housing Reform
FUNDING FOR CAPE AND ISLANDS HOUSING
To date, Julian has secured $4.8 million in funding for affordable housing to support individuals experiencing housing insecurity. In collaboration with his colleagues in the Cape & Islands Legislative Delegation, Julian obtained a historic $3.5 million to fund essential housing assistance for the region from the federal American Rescue Plan. These funds aided in the expansion of Accessory Dwelling Units, the formation of a housing advocacy coalition, and realized funding for housing projects in Bourne and Orleans. Beyond these achievements, Julian advocates for consistent increases in the state budget for funding that will increase Massachusetts' housing stock. Julian also actively champions housing initiatives to ensure the sustainability of a vibrant year-round community.
LOCAL LEADERSHIP
Julian has spoken up and spent personal time and political capital on advocating for badly needed affordable housing projects across the Cape, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. He has also persistently pushed back against NIMBYism and veiled racist and classist excuses to delay and scuttle important projects. Julian has filed several bills to establish a local option real estate transfer tax on sales of homes that exceed $1 million; the resulting revenue would fund affordable housing initiatives in towns that choose to enact the fee. In communities like the Cape and Islands, where property prices have surged in recent years, this legislation would provide a significant and stable funding stream to create and preserve the year-round housing we need.
