MBTA Communities

In 2021, Massachusetts enacted MBTA Communities, the most significant pro-housing law passed in decades. Now, it’s up to 177 cities and towns to comply with its requirements or risk losing state funding and face potential lawsuits (see if your town is included).

The law requires communities served by the MBTA to create a reasonably sized zoning district that allows multifamily housing by-right at a density of 15-units per acre. This is modest density that can be satisfied by duplexes, townhomes, carriage houses, and small apartment buildings.

This type of transit oriented development will create mixed-use communities that encourage people to live, work, and shop near transit services which, in turn, offers more choices for transportation, decreases dependency on driving, reduces parking issues, and can help the environment. More than ever, Massachusetts desperately needs to create more housing.