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Table of Contents

• Governor Charlie Baker, 2015-2023
  • No. 600: Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services in the Commonwealth
  • No. 601: Rescinding Executive Order No. 600
  • No. 602: Establishing the Massachusetts Cyber Incident Response Team
  • No. 603: Rescinding Certain Executive Orders
• Governor Maura Healey, 2023-
  • No. 604: Establishing the Office Of Climate Innovation and Resilience Within the Office Of the Governor
  • No. 605: Establishing a Working Group to Envision the Creation of a Housing Secretariat
  • No. 606: Establishing the Governor's Council on Black Empowerment
  • No. 607: Rescinding Executive Order No. 595
  • No. 608: Establishing the Governor's Council on Latino Empowerment
  • No. 609: Protecting Access to Medication Abortion Services in the Commonwealth
  • No. 610: Reconstituting the Judicial Nominating Commission and Establishing a Code of Conduct for Commission Members and Nominees to Judicial Office
  • No. 611: Establishing the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking
  • No. 612: Instituting the Practice of Equity Assessment Government-Wide and Creating the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on Increasing Equity Through Data
  • No. 613: Reaffirming and Establishing the Governor's Advisory Council on Veterans' Services
  • No. 614: Establishing the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board
  • No. 615: Promoting Access to Government Services and Information by Identifying and Minimizing Language Access Barriers
  • No. 616: Order Constituting the Supreme Judicial Nominating Commission
  • No. 617: Establishing the Governor's Youth Advisory Council
  • No. 618: Biodiversity Conservation in Massachusetts
  • No. 619: Eliminating the Purchase by the Executive Department of Single-Use Plastic Bottles
  • No. 620: Establishing the Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting
  • No. 621: Establishing the Housing Advisory Council
  • No. 622: Establishing the Commission on Unlocking Housing Production
  • No. 623: Identifying Opportunities for the Use of Surplus and Underutilized Land for Housing
  • No. 624: Establishing the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office and the Advisory Council on Federal Funds and Infrastructure
  • No. 625: Establishing an Inter-Agency Task Force on Ensuring Affordable, High-Quality Child Care
  • No. 626: Creating the Governor's Transportation Funding Task Force
  • No. 627: Instituting Skills-Based Hiring Practices
  • No. 628: Establishing an Artificial Intelligence Strategic Task Force
  • No. 629: Establishing an Artificial Intelligence Strategic Task Force
  • No. 630: Establishing a Public Construction Projects Advisory Council
  • No. 631: Establishing a Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council
  • No. 632: Establishing a Labor Advisory Council
  • No. 633: Protecting Access to Emergency Abortion Care in Massachusetts
  • No. 634: Amendment to Executive Order 631
  • No. 635: Affirming and Reconstituting a State Rehabilitation Advisory Council for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
  • No. 636: Reaffirming and Reconstituting a State Rehabilitation Advisory Council for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
  • No. 637: Recognizing the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe
  • No. 638: Promoting the Equitable Participation of Women and Underrepresented Groups in Construction
  • No. 639: Establishing a K-12 Statewide Graduation Council
  • No. 640: Creating the Position of Poet Laureate of Massachusetts
  • No. 641: Using Project Labor Agreements to Promote Successful Delivery of Major Projects
  • No. 642: Instituting Age-Friendly Practices
  • No. 643: Establishing the Governor’s Anti-Hunger Task Force
  • No. 644: Establishing the Advisory Commission on Advancing Research and Discovery in Massachusetts
  • No. 645: Establishing the Commission on PILOT for State-Owned Land
  • No. 646: Re-Establishing the Governor's Special Advisory Commission on Disability Policy
  • No. 647: Establishing the Governor's Competitiveness Council
  • No. 648: Establishing a Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense
  • No. 649: Reestablishing The Seaport Economic Council
  • No. 650: Protecting Access to Essential Services and Keeping Massachusetts Communities Safe

Executive Order

Executive Order No. 605: Establishing a Working Group to Envision the Creation of a Housing Secretariat

| Date: | 01/20/2023 |
| --- | --- |
| Issuer: | Maura Healey |
| Mass Register: | No. 1488 |

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WHEREAS, affordable, accessible, and well-maintained housing is critical for the physical health and mental well-being of the residents of Massachusetts and must be available for residents at all income levels, especially for our front-line employees, service industry, and public sector workers, such as teachers, public safety workers, and others who currently are at risk of being priced out of housing markets across Massachusetts;

WHEREAS, high housing prices, if left unaddressed, will threaten the long-term economic competitiveness of our Commonwealth - the average fair market rent in Massachusetts is already significantly higher than the national average, and Massachusetts employers will struggle to recruit and retain high-performing employees if employees are unable to find accessible, affordable housing;

WHEREAS, the high price of housing makes it hard to attract new residents and threatens to drive out longtime residents who form the fabric of our communities;

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth should be a place where every resident has a place to call home where they feel safe and secure;

WHEREAS, we can create a more inclusive and vibrant Commonwealth by substantially increasing housing production, in particular housing that meets community needs, preserving and upgrading existing housing stock, supporting individuals and families struggling with homelessness, and fully harnessing the power of housing to create economic mobility for all;

WHEREAS, a multi-pronged approach is necessary to meet the challenges that the Commonwealth's currently limited housing supply creates across Massachusetts and throughout the economy;

WHEREAS, the current structure of state government consolidates two separate policy areas - housing and economic development - within one Secretariat and under one cabinet official, making it more difficult to focus and achieve progress on either;

WHEREAS reorganizing government to create an Executive Office of Housing, led by a Secretary of Housing, has the potential to:

• prioritize housing as a key driver of economic growth and increase the focus on, and resources available for, housing production and preservation;
• allow for more cross-disciplinary collaboration to better connect housing to education, transportation, public safety, and climate; and
• facilitate the implementation of a coordinated housing policy with a goal of working with local officials, state agencies, existing housing stakeholders, and public and private sector housing developers to meet our housing needs in a manner that enhances communities and expands opportunities; and
• identify the possibilities, more clearly envision the roles and responsibilities of a new Executive Office of Housing, and define a mandate for a new Secretary of Housing; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Maura T. Healey, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, Part 2, c. 2, § I, Art. I, do hereby order as follows:

Section 1: Working Group to Study the Creation of an Executive Office for Housing

There is hereby established within the Office of the Governor a working group to study the creation of an Executive Office of Housing and the appointment of a Secretary of Housing and to advise the Governor on the potential advantages of such an approach in meeting the Commonwealth's long-term goals in expanding safe, accessible, and affordable housing for its residents.

Section 2: Composition of Working Group

The Working Group shall be comprised of the Lieutenant Governor, who shall serve as chair, the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development other designee, who shall serve as the vice chair; the Secretary of Administration and Finance or his designee; the Executive Director of MassHousing; and up to fifteen additional members appointed by the Governor from representatives of municipal leadership, housing advocacy groups, affordable housing developers, market rate housing developers, and housing finance organizations, including one or more mayors from different regions of the Commonwealth. Members so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and without compensation.

Section 3: Report

The Working Group shall provide a written report to the Governor detailing its findings and highlighting concerns the group recommends be considered in developing legislation, not later than thirty days from the signing of this Executive Order.

Section 4: Compatibility with Existing Laws

Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to require action inconsistent with any applicable state or federal law.

Section 5: Effective Date

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall continue in effect until the Working Group has delivered to the Governor its study of the creation of an Executive Office for Housing.

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