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In Depth: Mandating
Multifamily Zoning Near Massachusetts Public Transit
The
In
Depth section on HUD User’s Regulatory Barriers
Clearinghouse (RBC) takes a closer look at innovative state and local
strategies, activities, and plans to mitigate the impacts of regulations on the
development of affordable housing. Each In Depth article highlights a particular
plan, ordinance, or strategy in the RBC database and elaborates on aspects such
as the approval process, stakeholder participation, and the progress made in
reducing regulatory barriers.
In
January 2021, Massachusetts
enacted House Bill 5250 (H.5250), which includes measures to prioritize
higher-density residential construction near the state’s public transit
system. In addition to easing the approval process for zoning amendments that
facilitate the production of multifamily housing, the bill directs communities
served by the state’s transit agency, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority (MBTA), to zone at least one district near a transit station that
permits multifamily housing without the need for a special permit, variance,
zoning amendment, or other discretionary approval. The bill also directs the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation, in consultation with MBTA, to
prepare guidelines to determine jurisdictions’ compliance with the bill.
Visit HUD
User’s RBC In
Depth page to learn more about Massachusetts’ H.5250,
as well as other plans and initiatives that state and local governments have
enacted to reduce impediments to affordable housing.
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