Jul 6, 2022
BOSTON – Fair Share for Massachusetts, the campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education, today announced the endorsement of 26 housing and community development organizations from across the state.
“We hope voters see the wisdom and value in securing $2 billion in order to improve the Massachusetts economy by repairing roads, bridge and public transportation, infrastructure most of us use every day,” said Philip Giffee, Executive Director of Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH). “In addition, the Amendment will enable the Commonwealth to invest more in public education such as much-needed STEM programs. We need to invest in our young folks so they are skilled at helping create a vibrant economy when they take charge.”
The 26 housing and community development organizations include nonprofit affordable housing developers, tenants rights groups, and community development corporations (CDCs) from communities including Boston, Cambridge, Cape Cod, Chelsea, Chesterfield, Fitchburg, Franklin County, Lawrence, Northampton, Somerville, Springfield, and Worcester.
“Right now, working families in Springfield are working harder than ever just to keep up with their bills and stay in their homes. But throughout the pandemic, Massachusetts’ multimillionaires and billionaires just kept getting richer,” said Rose Webster-Smith, Program Director of Springfield No One Leaves. “With the Fair Share Amendment, only the super rich will pay more, and we’ll all benefit from better roads, more reliable public transit, and great public schools and colleges that give students the resources they need to succeed.”
“This November, voters will have a unique opportunity to directly shape the future of our Commonwealth,” said Joe Kriesberg, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC). “By voting Yes on this initiative, we can ensure a more equitable and prosperous future for ourselves and for future generations — a future where all children receive the great education they deserve and where all of us can access the reliable transportation we need to work, shop, play and thrive.”
“Lawrence CommunityWorks supports Fair Share because we believe that everyone in Massachusetts must contribute according to their ability, for the shared prosperity and growth of all,” said Jessica Andors, Executive Director of Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc.
“As a Community Development Corporation providing thousands of Bostonians with affordable housing options, we support the needs of vital everyday issues such as public transportation, roads, and schools,” said Lee Nave, Co-Interim Community Organizing Director of Codman Square Community Development Corporation. “The Fair Share Amendment will generate an estimated $2 billion dollars annually to invest in Massachusetts, from the streets of Codman Square to the people we serve every day.”
The housing and community development organizations join more than 215 organizations and thousands of activists across the state who are working together to win the Fair Share Amendment on the ballot. After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters.
The full list of endorsing housing and community development organizations is below, and a full list of organizations that have endorsed the Fair Share Amendment is available at fairsharema.com/endorsements.
A Better Cambridge
Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation
Asian Community Development Corporation
City Life / Vida Urbana
Codman Square NDC
Codman Square Neighborhood Council
Community Development Partnership of Cape Cod
Fenway CDC
Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Hilltown CDC
Homeowners Rehab Inc.
Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA)
JPNDC
Lawrence CommunityWorks
MACDC
Madison Park Development Corporation
Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance
NewVue Communities
NOAH
Nuestra Comunidad CDC Roxbury
Somerville Community Corporation
Springfield No One Leaves
The Neighborhood Developers Inc.
Valley CDC (Northampton)
Wellspring Cooperative Corporation
Worcester Common Ground, Inc.
Background on the Fair Share Amendment
The Fair Share Amendment on the November ballot will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. The ballot question would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and dedicate the funds raised to transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation.
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The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Learn more at FairShareMA.com.