 Photo by State Representative Mike Connolly of MHC campaign letter. The Massachusetts Housing Coalition (MHC) presents itself as a statewide pro-housing organization focused on increasing housing production, expanding affordability, reducing regulatory barriers, and opposing what it calls NIMBY—or “Not In My Backyard”—policies. The organization announced its formation on June 10, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its launch materials described MHC as a 501(c)(4) organization founded by Massachusetts residents, tenants, homeowners, and property owners. The group said it wanted to promote affordable and workforce housing, support economic recovery, and encourage “common sense, market-based” housing regulations. [1] MHC calls for immediate changes to state and local building policy with fewer regulatory barriers, and greater market opportunity. The organization advocates for changing local zoning and fighting NIMBY opposition.[2] The original founders and early leadership Denise Jillson and Sean Hope were among the Massachusetts Housing Coalition’s original founders and early board leaders. In 2021, Cambridge Day identified the organization’s four-member board as including Sean Hope, Denise Jillson, Charles R. Laverty III, and developer Ben Deb. [3] Denise Jillson is the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, a position she has held since 2006. [7] According to a 2025 Harvard Crimson profile, Jillson was formerly co-chair of the Small Property Owners Association and chaired the Massachusetts Housing Coalition during the 1994 campaign to repeal rent control in Massachusetts. The repeal campaign passed statewide with approximately 51 percent of the vote. [8] Sean Hope is the founder and principal of Hope Real Estate Enterprises. On LinkedIn, HRE describes itself as “a real estate company that builds hopes and dreams through development, redevelopment, property management, and asset management in Cambridge.” Significantly, however, many of Mr. Hope's developments are affordable housing projects, and very good ones.[4] Charles R. Laverty III is an attorney and in-house legal counsel at Laverty Lohnes Properties. According to his LinkedIn profile, he oversees legal matters involving a substantial commercial and residential real-estate portfolio in the Greater Boston area. His work includes Massachusetts real-estate law, leases, property management, construction matters, and real-estate tax appeals. He is also identified as a Massachusetts attorney and real-estate broker. [9] Ben Deb is the Chief Financial Officer of First Cambridge Realty. He joined them in 2017 and has since been an integral part of the leadership group. FCR owns and manages over 650 residential units and approximately 60,000 square feet of commercial space in the Boston metro At the time of MHC’s launch, Jefferson Smith was identified as the organization’s interim executive director. He is a partner in the e are Bulfinch Strategies Group, a leading public affairs and strategic consultancy. He is a founder of Thinkjet Strategies (2013-2021) and former chief of staff to the Cambridge City Mayor (2014-2016). What MHC has been doing The organization’s 2020 launch materials said that housing policy should support public, nonprofit, and private development. MHC also said that small businesses and property owners play an important role in local economic recovery. [1] In 2021, MHC circulated a mailing to Cambridge and Somerville homeowners, property owners, and business owners. The mailing criticized several legislative proposals, including progressive revenue legislation, a tenant right-of-first-refusal proposal, and legislation allowing municipalities to consider local tenant protections. The mailing (see top image) characterized the tenant-protection bill as a return to “failed rent control” and urged recipients to join MHC’s effort to “protect equitable access to housing and respect the rights of homeowners.” [3] State Representative Mike Connolly from Cambridge responded publicly to this, stating that MHC’s mailing misrepresented the legislation and omitted important details. He described MHC as a 501(c)(4) political organization directed by real-estate developers and business leaders. Connolly also criticized the organization for opposing tenant protections and progressive taxation while using the language of racial and social equity. These statements represent Connolly’s characterization of the group and its policies. [10] Connections to the Small Property Owners Association MHC also appears to be allied with the Small Property Owners Association (SPOA). Indeed SPOA’s June 16, 2020 Facebook post publicly shared MHC’s announcement of its formation. The post reproduced MHC’s launch statement and promoted the organization’s website. [11] There is also a significant historical connection through Denise Jillson. The Harvard Crimson reports that Jillson was a former co-chair of SPOA and a leader in the 1994 campaign to repeal rent control. The current MHC therefore includes a leader with a long history in the anti-rent-control. [8] The name Massachusetts Housing Coalition also appeared in connection with the 1994 rent-control repeal campaign. Connections to other pro-development coalitions MHC’s policy language is closely aligned with the broader pro-development movement in Massachusetts, particularly its support for increased production, reduced regulation, market-rate housing, and opposition to rent control. Denise Jillson was also listed as a speaker in connection with the Housing for Massachusetts campaign. [13] This provides a public connection between Jillson and the broader anti-rent-control and pro-development network. What the public record shows The Massachusetts Housing Coalition presents itself as a broad coalition of tenants, homeowners, property owners, and residents concerned about affordability and housing access. However, its original leadership and public activity show strong connections to real-estate development, commercial business interests, small-property-owner advocacy, and the movement against rent control. Its policy agenda supports building more housing—including market-rate housing—while reducing zoning and regulatory barriers. The most accurate description is therefore that MHC is a market-oriented, pro-development advocacy organization with Cambridge roots. It uses the language of affordability and equity but has been led and supported by people with substantial connections to real estate, property ownership, business organizations, and anti-rent-control campaigns. The available evidence does not establish that MHC is formally controlled by SPOA or another development coalition. It does show overlapping leadership, shared policy goals, public amplification, and participation in the same broader pro-development and anti-rent-control network. Sources [1] Massachusetts Housing Coalition launch announcement, June 2020 [2] Massachusetts Housing Coalition, “We Need Housing NOW” [3] Cambridge Day, “Flyer from Housing Coalition is misinformation about three bills to support tenants, state rep says” [4] Sean Hope LinkedIn profile, description supplied by the author. [5] City of Cambridge, Frost Terrace; City of Cambridge, 2072 Massachusetts Avenue [6] 2072 Massachusetts Avenue development team [7] GBH profile of Denise Jillson [8] Harvard Crimson, “Before Denise Jillson Became HSBA Director, She Led the Fight To End Rent Control in Cambridge” [9] Charles R. Laverty III LinkedIn profile
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