Massachusetts House Passes FY27 Budget, Invests in Programs That Support Families Across Massachusetts

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BOSTON – The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget. Funded at $63.41 billion, the House’s FY27 budget responds to the needs of residents, provides record support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development. 

“As a result of the Trump Administration’s sweeping federal funding cuts and reckless trade war, as well as two proposed ballot questions that seek to cut the Commonwealth’s revenues by more than $5 billion annually, this budget has come during a period of significant economic uncertainty. That’s why I’m incredibly proud of the investments that this budget makes despite those challenges, from funding for free school meals and for the final year of the Student Opportunity Act, to robust support for the MBTA, to nearly $10 billion for cities and towns across the Commonwealth,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Chairman Michlewitz, the Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means and my colleagues in the Quincy Delegation for all their work this budget cycle, as well as all my colleagues in the House for working to ensure that this budget delivers for every community across Massachusetts.”  

“In a time of fiscal uncertainty, the House budget maintains our commitment to important state and local projects,” said State Representative Tackey Chan (D-Quincy). “We have renewed crucial support for Quincy’s dedicated human services organizations, including the Germantown Neighborhood Center, Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. and Quincy Community Action Programs. I am thankful to have worked alongside Speaker Mariano and Representative Ayers to advance these important initiatives.” 

“I’m proud to have partnered with the Quincy delegation to deliver meaningful investments for our district,” said State Representative Bruce J. Ayers (D-Quincy). “The FY27 budget prioritizes core areas like education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development, all while also advancing key local initiatives. I’m especially pleased we were able to secure funding to enhance ferry service from Marina Bay and support additional seasonal patrols at Wollaston Beach. These investments strengthen our community, support our local organizations, and do so in a fiscally responsible way without raising taxes.” 

Due to responsible fiscal management, the House’s FY27 budget is balanced, and makes significant investments across several issue areas, without needing to include new taxes or tax increases. The House budget also strengthens the Stabilization Fund, which is set to reach $8.39 billion, reinforcing the state’s bond rating to keep borrowing costs down and save taxpayer money while protecting the Commonwealth’s long-term fiscal health.  

Local Aid and Education  

The FY27 House budget delivers nearly $10 billion in aid to cities and towns across the Commonwealth, representing a $477 million increase over the FY26 budget. The budget funds Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.33 billion and Chapter 70 education funding at $7.65 billion.  

The budget also funds the final year of a six-year implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to modernize the state’s school funding formula. The budget increases the minimum aid total to $160 per pupil.  

Additionally, the budget includes the following education initiatives:  

  • SPED Circuit Breaker funding at $805.4 million across two accounts in the House budget and the Fair Share supplemental budget, supporting 100 percent projected reimbursement entitlement 

  • $10 million for school districts that have experienced unexpected enrollment reductions in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students  

  • $57.1 million for Regional School Transportation, and $62 million to fund Non-Resident Vocational and Regional Transportation 

Public Transportation  

The FY27 House budget includes $470 million for the MBTA, including $40 million for the MBTA Academy which supports workforce training and recruiting. The budget continues to support water transportation and income-eligible reduced fares. The budget also includes $217. 5 million for the 15 RTAs that serve commuters across Massachusetts. This investment includes:  

  • $94 million for general state contract assistance 

  • $66 million for additional state contract assistance to support expanded service hours, weekend services, and route expansions 

Quincy Investments 

The House budget included a number of key investments in Quincy’s local non-profits, community organizations, and support services: 

  • $50,000 for homelessness prevention services at Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. 

  • $95,000 for State Police patrols at Wollaston Beach and along Furnace Brook parkway during the summer season 

  • $55,000 for the hazmat emergency response program 

  • $50,000 for the Friends of Faxon Park 

  • $50,000 for Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI) 

  • $50,000 for the Germantown Neighborhood Center 

  • $50,000 for upgrades to the baseball practice facilities at Quincy High School 

  • $30,000 for the Penn’s Hill Neighborhood Association, Inc. 

  • $55,000 for the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Programs in Quincy 

  • $640,000 for the Adams Presidential Center 

Early Education and Care 

Continuing the House’s longstanding commitment towards investing in the early education and care (EEC) workforce, the FY27 House budget includes $1.86 billion, $157.2 million more than in FY26, to sustain recent rate increases and other historic investments in child care access and affordability across the Commonwealth. Other early education and care investments in this budget include:  

  • $598.6 million for child care for children involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). It also allows for expanded access to families involved in the Emergency Assistance (EA) Shelter System 

  • $623.6 million for child care for low-income families 

  • $475 million for Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants 

  • $20 million for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies 

  • $20 million for Head Start 

  • $7.5 million for an EEC Educator Scholarship Program 

Public Higher Education  

The House budget allocates $866.5 million for the University of Massachusetts system, $419.8 million for community colleges, and $407.9 million for state universities. Other higher education investments include:  

  • $176.7 million for scholarship funding  

  • $18 million for the Community College SUCCESS program  

  • $18 million for the State University SUCCESS program  

  • $10 million for the UMass SUCCESS program  

  • $15 million for Early College  

  • $12.9 million for Dual Enrollment  

Health and Human Services  

The House budget includes $22.41 billion for MassHealth and invests in primary care rates and behavioral health. It extends the Health Connector’s ConnectorCare Pilot program until the end of 2027 and expands eligibility residents with incomes up to 500% of the Federal Poverty Level, up from 400%. The program offers lower premiums, no deductibles and reduced co-pays. 

The House’s FY27 budget also invests in the human services workforce by including $175 million for Chapter 257 rates for health and human service workers and $132 million for rate increases for nursing facilities. Additional investments include: 

  • $5.6 million for the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, including funds to support their automated adverse events monitoring pilot in Massachusetts hospitals 

  • Maintains $16 per elder formula grant and $2.2 million for Service Incentive Grants for Councils on Aging 

  • Permits MassHealth to set coverage limits of $1,750 per year on dental services provided to MassHealth members and Health Safety Net patients, in alignment with caps on Group Insurance Commission (GIC) members. This would save the state $35 million annually  

To alleviate the cost of living, the House budget makes investments to lower food costs. It includes $60 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, $20 million for the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to provide a dollar-for-dollar match to SNAP recipients purchasing locally grown healthy food, and $11 million for the SNAP for Low-Income Workers program. 

Public Health and Mental Health 

The House budget funds the Department of Public Health (DPH) at $1.16 billion and the Department of Mental Health (DMH) at $1.32 billion for FY27. Investments include:  

  • $184.1 million for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) 

  • $35 million for HIV/AIDS Treatment and Preservation 

  • $11.1 million for a Gun and Violence Prevention Program 

  • $10.1 million for Community Health Centers, including $4 million for the Gender Affirming Care program  

  • $4 million to address safety, health and quality of life at the Mass & Cass area of Boston  

  • $679.7 million for Adult Mental Health Supports 

  • $136.7 million for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services 

Affordable and Accessible Housing  

The FY27 budget maintains the House’s commitment to protecting renters and homeowners across the Commonwealth from eviction and homelessness by investing in the following programs:  

  • $115 million for programs for homeless individuals 

  • $10 million for shelter workforce assistance 

  • $281.3 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) 

  • $210 million for the Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program 

  • $82.3 million for HomeBASE 

  • $8 million for a new Winter Beds program 

  • $3 million to the Access to Counsel program that provides legal representation for low-income families in eviction proceedings 

  •  $258.6 million for the EA Shelter System, which accounts for $17.1 million in savings because of a decreased shelter portfolio and other savings initiatives 

Workforce Development and Economic Development  

The FY27 House budget funds the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development at $112.8 million. Additionally, it invests in the following workforce development initiatives:  

  • $58.4 million for Adult Basic Education Services 

  • $20.4 million for DTA Employment and Training Services 

  • $17.4 million for Summer Jobs for At-Risk Youth 

  • $8.9 million for Career Technical Institutes 

  • $7.9 million for One Stop Career Centers 

  • $1.5 million for first-time homebuyer counseling and best lending practices  

  • $1 million for Social Enterprise Grants, a new workforce development program 

Energy and Environmental Affairs  

The House budget includes $477.1 million for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, continuing investments in conservation and sustainable development while keeping the Commonwealth on track to meet its climate goals. This investment includes:  

  • $153.3 million for the Department of Conservation and Recreation 

  • $81.1 million for the Department of Environmental Protection 

  • $71.4 million for the Department of Agricultural Resources 

  • $63.4 million for the Clean Water Trust 

  • $10 million transfer to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 

Criminal Justice  

Criminal justice investments include:  

  • $33.7 million for the Office of Community Corrections 

  • $16.1 million for Community-Based Reentry Services 

  • $6.9 million for Emerging Adults Pre-and-Post Release Reentry Grants 

  • $52 million for Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp. to provide legal services to the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable populations 

  • $7 million for the Immigration Legal Assistance Fund for non-violent offenders 

The House Committee on Ways & Means introduced their FY27 budget proposal on April 15, 2026, following a review of the Governor’s proposal and a series of public hearings. The budget passed the House of Representatives 149-9 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.