Massachusetts, Ireland Unveil Major Housing Initiatives

Governments in Massachusetts and Ireland are advancing plans to address housing shortages by unlocking state-owned and private land for development. In Ireland, the Land Development Agency's powers are being expanded to purchase more private land and focus on private housing projects, aiming to boost housing output. In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey has released an inventory of over 450 acres of surplus state land, with 17 sites to be offered to developers in the coming year and a target of creating more than 3,500 affordable housing units. These initiatives reflect an urgency to increase housing supply and leverage public sector assets. U.S. efforts also include modernizing homebuilding through digital transformation and data-driven land strategies to improve sector efficiency. Both countries are combining regulatory reforms and technological innovation to tackle persistent housing challenges.