Bill > S775

This bill proposes several key changes to housing reform in Massachusetts: 1. It allows contiguous cities and towns to enter into agreements to allocate costs and revenue associated with development across their communities, with approval from the Department of Revenue. 2. It defines important housing-related terms like "accessory dwelling unit," "as of right," "mixed-use development," and "open space residential development," among others. 3. It establishes that certain zoning changes, such as allowing multi-family housing or accessory dwelling units "as of right," can be adopted by a simple majority vote rather than a two-thirds supermajority. 4. It allows transfer of development rights (TDR) and certain natural resource protection zoning to be adopted by a simple majority vote. 5. It requires MBTA communities to zone for at least one district of reasonable size that allows multi-family housing as of right, with minimum density requirements, near public transit. Communities that fail to comply may lose access to state housing funds. 6. It allows courts to require non-municipal plaintiffs to post a surety bond in certain appeals of decisions approving permits, variances, and site plans, in order to address potential harm from delays. Overall, the bill aims to promote more housing development, especially multi-family and transit-oriented housing, by streamlining certain zoning processes and providing incentives for communities to plan for growth.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S775