On January 22nd, the Healey-Driscoll administration filed its budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. The $62.07 billion spending plan increases spending over the FY 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) by $4.3 billion (7.4 percent) and over the...

The confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of technology enabling effective remote work has caused a dramatic drop in demand for office space and a shift in what employers need from their physical spaces. This places the city in a...

In May of 2024, Steward Health Care announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection; beginning a process through which the for-profit health system looked to restructure its debt and sell or close assets, including seven Massachusetts hospitals...

Massachusetts is at a critical crossroads, as growth in the behavioral health workforce and the talent pipeline is not keeping pace with the higher demand for services. Healthcare providers struggle to recruit and retain professionals in high-need...

In 2023, MTF released a report which made several recommendations on reforms that should be made to the Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) system to ensure greater system efficiency, family engagement, outcomes for children, and support for...

In spite of unanimous passage by both the House and the Senate, in the final days of the legislative session a compromise economic development bill failed to reach the Governor’s desk. While the two versions of the bill differ significantly on policy...

On March 1st, the Healey-Driscoll administration unveiled their economic development bill, An Act relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership, also known as the Mass Leads Act. The House and Senate have now each acted on their own...

The House and Senate have both passed their own versions of a housing bond bill, known as the Affordable Homes Act, and now must reconcile the two versions in Conference Committee. Both bills propose more than $5 billion in capital authorizations,...

The standard model for the role central business districts play in cities across the country has been forever disrupted by the pandemic. Reductions to in-person work have a cascade effect on commercial real estate, public finance, and city vibrancy...

The MBTA has made important strides. It increased its operating staff by 1,200 since June 2022 and has improved its handling of safety and service issues that have plagued the Authority for several years. However, it still has a long uphill climb....