Massachusetts Governor Says Safety Funds Won’t be Tied to MBTA Communities Compliance

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey says the state will no longer ask local fire departments to confirm that their towns are in compliance with the MBTA Communities zoning law before receiving state funding for fire safety equipment.

As Lance Reynolds explains in Boston Herald, the governor faced backlash for potentially jeopardizing public safety at the expense of housing. “This is not the first time the fire safety grant MBTA zoning compliance issue has caused concern. Healey’s administration changed course last spring, telling fire departments that if their cities or towns resisted compliance, they’d lose funding.” The state has also faced criticism for withholding road safety funds from a noncompliant town.

Nearly all of the state’s eligible communities — 165 out of 177 — have complied with the law, which requires municipalities to rezone areas near transit stops for higher density and encourage housing production.