Bill > S1437

This bill proposes to amend the Massachusetts MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) communities law by creating new exemptions for municipalities from existing housing development requirements. Specifically, the bill allows communities to be exempt from housing development mandates under five conditions: (1) if the state has not approved an increase in the town's water withdrawal permit; (2) if more than 15 percent of the community's housing stock is already classified as low or moderate-income housing; (3) if the community lacks basic infrastructure or sufficient state funding for infrastructure improvements, such as municipal water or sewer systems; (4) if the majority of the designated development zone consists of green space or protected natural resources; or (5) if the community has fewer than 8,000 residents according to the most recent federal census. The bill requires the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to create regulations that outline the process for communities to apply for these exemptions, providing municipalities with more flexibility in meeting housing development requirements while considering local constraints and existing affordable housing efforts.