In January 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature adopted an Economic Development Bond Bill (H.5250) that made long-overdue changes to the state’s Zoning Act. The “Housing Choices” sections of the bill made it easier for municipalities to adopt pro-housing zoning changes, discourage meritless anti-housing lawsuits, and require each municipality in the MBTA district to zone for multifamily […]
Continue reading...Housing Choice at a Glance How will recently-passed Housing Choice legislation impact zoning in your city or town? We’ve compiled a summary of the changes: Housing Choice refers to a number of changes to the state’s zoning law, MGL Ch. 40A that were enacted at the end of the recent legislative session through the Economic […]
Continue reading...Every month, MAPC’s Data Services department is releasing maps and data visualizations covering a range of vital and interrelated topics: equity, housing, transportation, climate, arts and culture, and more. February’s visualization provides a sneak peek into MAPC’s upcoming research release on housing submarkets. Our region is not made of one housing market, but many, and […]
Continue reading...Every month, MAPC’s Data Services department is releasing maps and data visualizations covering a range of vital and interrelated topics: equity, housing, transportation, climate, arts and culture, and more. January’s visualization highlights the recently-released MAPC Zoning Atlas and explores residential density throughout the region. A resource nine years in the making, the Zoning Atlas provides […]
Continue reading...Small, subjective local decisions and bylaw changes tip the balance away from multifamily housing production and create hurdles for even good-quality development to succeed, found a report released today on local zoning and multifamily housing in the cities and towns surrounding Boston. “The State of Zoning for Multi-Family Housing in Greater Boston” reveals that a […]
Continue reading...Cities & towns making it difficult to build housing even amid housing shortage and affordability crisis, research finds Boston – Over the past 15 years, despite many changes in local zoning, it remains difficult if not impossible to build multi-family housing in cities and towns across Metro Boston, according to a detailed study on development […]
Continue reading...What’s the Problem? Massachusetts is in the midst of a housing crisis that threatens our communities, our economic success, and our quality of life. For years now, advocates have been calling for an update to the Commonwealth’s outdated zoning and housing rules. Businesses are debating whether to locate in Massachusetts because the high cost of […]
Continue reading...What’s the Problem? Massachusetts is in the midst of a housing crisis that threatens our communities, our economic success, and our quality of life. For years now, advocates have been calling for an update to the Commonwealth’s outdated zoning and housing rules. Businesses are debating whether to locate in Massachusetts because the high cost of […]
Continue reading...What’s the Problem? Massachusetts is in the midst of a housing crisis that threatens our communities, our economic success, and our quality of life. For years now, advocates have been calling for an update to the Commonwealth’s outdated zoning and housing rules. Businesses are debating whether to locate in Massachusetts because the high cost of […]
Continue reading...Zoning/Housing Alert: Ask You Rep to sign the Kulik/peake letter On May 9, State Representatives Steve Kulik and Sarah Peake outlined a package of important zoning and housing production reforms that House members can coalesce around. Please call and email your State Rep today and ask him/her to join the Kulik-Peake zoning reform/housing letter! Click […]
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