Massachusetts officials have unveiled a new report that lays out recommendations for ways the state can protect coastal communities as sea level rise worsens.
ResilientCoasts — a 144-page document released Thursday by the Healey administration — aims to make it easier for towns and regions to access funding, share data and coordinate projects. It also outlines steps to protect property and strengthen infrastructure, such as preserving natural buffers like salt marshes, elevating houses, and requiring home sellers to disclose their property’s flood risk to prospective buyers.
“What the plan does is it really lays out a foundation for how the state can carve out a leadership role and support and accelerate local and regional coastal resilience efforts up and down the coastline between now and the 2070s,” said Deanna Moran, chief coastal resilience officer at the state’s Office of Coastal Zone Management.
Officials began working on the initiative in 2023, and received input from stakeholders in seaside communities along the 1,500 miles of Massachusetts coastline.
According to the report, the state plans for sea levels to rise about 1.3 feet above 2008 levels by 2040, and 4.3 feet later this century. The rising seas have already caused more frequent flooding during high tides. Scientists also note that climate change is causing Massachusetts to experience more intense precipitation events that lead to inland flooding, too, like what happened in Leominster in 2023.
Gov. Maura Healey noted that it’s critical Massachusetts strengthen infrastructure now in order to prevent costly damage in the future. Officials pointed to research showing that every dollar put into resilience can yield about $13 in benefits and avoided recovery costs. They said that communities that delay action risk losing up to $33 in future economic activity for every dollar not invested.
“This plan is about helping people and local businesses stay safe and save money,” Healey said. “When we invest in stronger roads, flood protections, and coastal restoration, we’re not just preventing damage — we’re protecting livelihoods.”
Among the measures the report recommends requiring home sellers and landlords to disclose their properties’ flood risk and history to prospective renters and homebuyers.
According to the National Resources Defense Council, Massachusetts is currently one of just 14 states that don’t have any flood disclosure requirements as part of the rental and homebuying process. Norman Abbott, an analyst with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council in Boston, has been urging state officials to change that.
He noted the requirement is necessary to ensure people find out about a property’s flood vulnerability before signing a lease or putting down a nonrefundable deposit. He said it could especially benefit people living in basement apartments who may not realize there’s a flood risk until it’s too late.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel here,” Abbott said. “Texas, New Jersey, New York — they’ve all done this sort of stuff after major floods have occurred. So this is our chance to get in front of this.”
Some real estate agents around the country have pushed back against flood disclosure requirements. In a statement to GBH News, Theresa Hatton — CEO of the Massachusetts Realtors Association — said buyers in the state have the right to inspect and research any aspect of a property they’re concerned about before closing on a property.
“This new requirement will add a level of disclosure that will help buyers make better informed decisions around their property’s flood risk,” Hatton said. She added that the association will work closely with its members to “ensure they have access to guidance and resources needed to meet any disclosure requirements effectively and with confidence.”
In order for the flood disclosure mandate and other aspects of the new plan to take effect, the state Legislature has to pass them into law. Lawmakers are considering doing so as they review a resilience bill put forward by Healey known as the Mass Ready Act.
Upon hearing about the state’s new resilience plan, Bob Pahl — an architect and resident in Hull — said he’s glad leaders are focusing on sea level rise. He said he’s watched flooding in Hull worsen over the years and has heard about the Trump administration canceling grants for resilience work.
“The state has to step in and take on more of this responsibility as it fades away from the federal government,” Pahl said.
