Massachusetts municipalities have until December 31 to adjust their zoning codes or face the potential loss of state funding.
The December 31 deadline for 177 Massachusetts cities and towns to update their zoning codes to allow more density near transit is approaching, reports Tréa Lavery in Mass Live.
The municipalities have until the end of the year to comply with the 2021 MBTA Communities Act, which requires cities to “have at least one zoning district where multifamily housing is allowed by right.” As of last week, over 90 percent of the cities and towns have been certified as compliant or conditionally compliant.
While some cities oppose the law, others have embraced it. “According to EOHLC, at least 6,000 homes are in development or under construction in zoning districts that were created under the MBTA Communities law.”
After January 1, the state will need to decide how to deal with noncompliant towns, which could lose state funding. “A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said the office is working with noncompliant towns to help them reach compliance.”
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