Berkshire Towns Can Tap State Seasonal Communities Resources
BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced that 18 additional municipalities across Massachusetts have been designated as Seasonal Communities, opening up new tools, support and grant funding to help them manage seasonal housing pressures.
Created as part of the historic Affordable Homes Act signed into law by Governor Healey in 2024, the Seasonal Communities designation was designed to recognize Massachusetts communities that experience substantial variation in seasonal employment and to create distinctive tools to address their unique housing needs. The law also established the Seasonal Communities Advisory Council (SCAC).
"Our seasonal communities are a vital part of Massachusetts' cultural and economic fabric, but they're also home to essential workers, families, seniors, and longtime residents who deserve a place to live year-round," said
Governor Healey. "That's why we're committed to supporting these communities with innovative solutions like the Seasonal Communities designation to meet their unique needs, and I'm thrilled that we're offering this opportunity to 18 additional communities across the state. Everyone who calls these places home should be able to live, work and grow here, no matter the season."
The Affordable Homes Act identified several communities to automatically receive the designation, including:
- All municipalities in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket;
- All municipalities with over 35 percent seasonal housing units in Barnstable County; and
- All municipalities with more than 40 percent seasonal housing units in Berkshire County.
To identify additional communities, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) reviewed available data, specifically focusing on cities and towns with high levels of short-term rentals and a high share of second- or vacation homes.
In Berkshire County, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, New Marlborough, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, West Stockbridge and Williamstown were designated.
As with the statutorily identified communities, acceptance of the designation for municipalities is voluntary and requires a local legislative vote. HLC will open an application for newly eligible communities that haven't accepted the Seasonal Communities designation to request consideration.
The Affordable Homes Act created several new tools for communities who accept the Seasonal Communities designation to be able to:
- Acquire deed restrictions to create or preserve year-round housing
- Develop housing with a preference for municipal workers, so that our public safety personnel, teachers, public works and town hall workers have a place to live
- Establish a Year-Round Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve affordable and attainable housing for year-round residents
- Create year-round housing for artists
- Allow seasonal communities to develop a comprehensive housing needs assessment
- Permit tiny homes to be built and used as year-round housing
- Permit year-round, attainable residential development on undersized lots
- Increase the property tax exemption for homes that are the owners' primary residence
In addition to these tools, HLC is also now accepting applications for the new SeasonalCommunities Grant Program, which supports Seasonal Communities in addressing their community and housing development needs. Only communities that have already accepted the Seasonal Communities designation are eligible to apply. Funding can support:
- Planning work: such as housing needs assessments, zoning updates and local planning for new housing.
- Direct housing activities: such as supporting development projects, creating or capitalizing local year-round housing trusts, or accessing technical assistance.
- Infrastructure projects that support new year-round housing: such as sewer or water upgrades, utility extensions, road and safety improvements, or other related work.
