Action for Pet-Inclusive Housing: Keep Families Together

The MSPCA has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of animals surrendered to our shelters because of rising housing pressures on pet families. As Massachusetts continues to struggle with one of the most competitive and expensive real estate markets in the country, too many families are having to make heart-wrenching decisions between having a place to live and keeping their pets.

We are tackling this issue head on and have launched a new effort to create more pet-inclusive housing in the Commonwealth.

What is Pet-inclusive Housing?
Housing providers will often advertise as “pet-friendly,” but our research shows that this label is misleading. Restrictions on breed and weight combined with unreasonable fees create a housing market where less than 10% of available rental units are truly inclusive for dogs of all sizes and types.

“Pet-inclusive” refers to housing that accepts pets regardless of weight and breed, acknowledging that such factors are not a predictor of personality. Diet, environment, health, training, breeding, genetics, management, and socialization all influence behavior.

Learn more about how housing insecurity impacts pet families.

How Can We Solve the Problem?

Action for Pet-Inclusive Housing is aimed to increase housing choice through policy change and partnerships with Housing Providers across Massachusetts. Housing choice and access means working across all forms of housing, from public, senior and affordable to the open market. No one should be forced to surrender their pet for lack of housing options!

Support our Policy Agenda!

One of our initiatives as part of this campaign includes legislative change:

H. 1559/S. 1022: An Act to maintain stable housing for families with pets, sponsored by Senator Pavel Payano and Representatives Dave Rogers and Sam Montaño. The bills would do the following:

• During a “state of emergency” and for one year after the “state of emergency” has ended, a landlord can’t evict a tenant solely on the basis of the presence of an unauthorized pet.
• Similarly, during a “state of emergency” a hotel cannot “unreasonably” deny a pet.
• HOAs cannot prohibit the keeping of certain types of dogs based on breed, size, weight or appearance.
• Requires Public Housing Authorities to institute a pet ownership program in state-aided housing and cannot discriminate on the basis of breed, weight, size, or appearance.
• For dogs: pet rent (per pet) cannot exceed 1% of the first full month’s rent.
• For all other household pets: Pet rent cannot cumulatively exceed 1% of a full month’s rent (i.e. not “per pet”).
• Prohibits insurance companies from discriminating on the basis of breed.

H. 4835: An Act to codify pet-friendly elderly housing policies and ensure pet parity across housing authorities sponsored by Representative Chan
This bill reinstates the existing elderly state-aided housing pet program, language that was inadvertently removed when EOHLC was created. It also updates the pet program to apply across all state-aided housing (of which elderly housing is already two-thirds), without restrictions on dog breed, size, or appearance. Finally, it creates an advisory group to help implement pet-friendly policies in state-funded housing.

Ask your state legislators to support bills that would create more pet-inclusive housing for all families

Action for Pet-Inclusive Housing Advances the Goals of the Massachusetts’ Statewide Housing Plan “A Home for Everyone”.