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          Pacesetters
          Doing Business with Columbia Construction

          This virtual event gives small business owners the chance to hear directly from procurement officers about opportunities to work with them.

          05/29/2025

          12:00pm - 1:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          City Awake
          Art of Connection: An Evening at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

          Join us for an exclusive networking event at the Museum of Fine Arts and enjoy self-guided tours of John Wilson and Van Gogh, showcasing the deep bond of family, friendship, and community.

          06/05/2025

          5:30pm - 8:30pm

          Museum of Fine Arts

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Series
          Transportation First | State of the Airport

          The Transportation First Series offers a platform to discuss the challenges faced by our region, with the input of experts and changemakers.

          06/12/2025

          2:45pm - 4:30pm

          Hybrid | Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Insights
        • Transformational DEI Certificate

          This program is in redevelopment. Click this page for DEI resources.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
          Authentic Professionalism for Early Career Professionals

          Join us on June 12 for a highly interactive virtual workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Small Business
          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          arrow-go
          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
          Transportation
          Read More
  • Our Networks
        • GBCC’s Networks

          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          Read More
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For over 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
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Supporting the Creation of the Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities

March 27, 2023

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce supports H.43, An Act to create the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and to rename the Executive Office of Economic Development. For employers in the region, the high cost of living in Greater Boston, including the cost of housing, affects their ability to attract and retain a talented workforce. The creation of a dedicated cabinet-level executive office is a timely and welcome proposal as the Commonwealth confronts major affordability challenges.

Housing is an urgent issue for Massachusetts. According to the 2021 American Community Survey, Massachusetts homeowners with a mortgage have the fourth highest housing costs in the U.S. The Zumper National Rent Report ranks Boston third most expensive for 1- and 2-bedroom apartment rents.[1] While many factors contribute to the state’s high costs, the core problem is driven by an imbalance between supply and demand. With an inadequate supply of housing due to years of underproduction, the Commonwealth will continue to lose its workforce to more affordable locations. From 2020 through July 2022, 110,000 people moved out of Massachusetts to other states. The Greater Boston area, and the state at large, must boost production to meet the housing needs of its residents.

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) will be a leader in tackling the state’s housing challenges. This includes administering many of the state’s essential programs that support public housing, affordable housing creation, and market rate housing development. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the Housing Development Incentive Program, and the revamped HousingWorks program (formerly part of MassWorks) are effective tools in incentivizing a variety of housing production, which EOHLC would oversee. Crucially, EOHLC will begin implementation of the MBTA Communities law that promotes transit-oriented housing development in 175 municipalities with access to public transportation. A cabinet-level secretariat will ensure that these priorities receive the focus and resources that the state’s housing challenge demands.

The creation of EOHLC will also allow the Administration to take other steps to promote housing development. For instance, the Chamber encourages EOHLC to create its own dedicated office of planning and research to improve statewide land use planning specifically for housing development and identifying critical infrastructure needs such as utility, transportation, open space, and access to job opportunities in cooperation with other agencies. EOHLC should explore creating regional housing production goals based on future housing needs, and strategically deploy its tools and resources to advance those goals while identifying infrastructure gaps and barriers to development. EOHLC should also identify and propose solutions to complex state and local barriers that inhibit the creation of adequate housing options for all income levels across the entire state.

The Chamber supports H.43 and looks forward to partnering with EOHLC on policies and programs that promote housing affordability and ensure Massachusetts can attract and retain a talented workforce.

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