Bill > S603

This bill proposes to amend Section 21 of Chapter 40B of the Massachusetts General Laws, which is a state law that allows developers to bypass local zoning regulations if a certain percentage of their project is designated as affordable housing. The key provision of this bill is to establish a new limit on the density of affordable housing projects, meaning the number of housing units allowed per acre. Specifically, applications for these projects generally cannot propose a density that is more than four times the density permitted by current local zoning laws, or more than eight units per acre, whichever of these two numbers is higher. However, this density limit can be waived by the local board overseeing the project if the developer either agrees to a maximum profit of 10% on the project or donates an amount of money equivalent to that profit to the town or city where the project is located, with the funds specifically designated for building more affordable housing in that community.