October 26, 2022 - “MAPC is pleased with the Baker Administration’s amendment on October 21, 2022, to the Section 3A guidelines for multi-family zoning districts in MBTA communities. The prior guidelines would have undermined cities and towns that currently have inclusionary zoning policies, while making it difficult for communities to adopt new inclusionary zoning policies in their 3A districts.
“The new guidelines are more friendly to inclusionary zoning, and offer a path for creating districts that will generate more than 10% affordable units, as well as allowing a portion of those units to be available at income limits lower than 80% of Areawide Median Income (AMI).
“Analysis has demonstrated that, when implemented as part of a significant up-zoning, the cost of reasonable affordability requirements can be absorbed by landowners and developers without undermining the financial feasibility of new housing development.
“The state’s housing shortage demands the creation of more market-rate units, but we cannot possibly solve the current crisis by developing market-rate units alone. We must continue to produce units that are affordable to low-income families, who suffer the most due to the housing crisis. The amended guidelines will help to advance both goals: building more housing units overall, while ensuring that a reasonable proportion of those units are affordable to people with the greatest need.”
For more information on MAPC, visit www.mapc.org.
To learn more about the 3A regulations, visit www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities and www.mhp.net/community/complete-neighborhoods-initiative.
Press Contact
Amanda Linehan
Communications Director
[email protected]