The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) recently hosted an informational panel on Tools and Strategies for Explaining MBTA Communities Zoning. There were several planning experts across the state featured on the panel, including MVPC’s Community & Economic Development Program Manager Ian Burns. As municipalities across Massachusetts navigate the new MBTA Communities law, this panel provided a great opportunity for community leaders to come together and learn about best practices for community engagement. By spotlighting the collaborative efforts of planning experts and local officials, this session highlighted the invaluable role of organizations like MVPC to foster informed decision-making.

As one of the most significant state zoning laws to pass the Massachusetts’ legislature in decades, there are many nuances and intricacies to the law that town officials, along with voters, are learning. All 15 towns and cities in the Merrimack Valley, along with 162 other communities across Massachusetts, are subject to the new MBTA Communities law passed by the Massachusetts legislature in 2021. This law stipulates that communities must create compliant zoning that allows for multi-family housing by-right. To learn more information about the details of the MBTA Communities law, visit the state’s information page here.

Attendees at this panel had the opportunity to learn about the variety of tools communities can use to explain the regulations and their proposed multi-family zoning districts. First and foremost, it is important for communities to highlight that this is a zoning requirement, not a production mandate. There are several steps that would need to occur for a development to happen, and zoning is just the first step to create that opportunity for future development. It is also important to highlight what potential multi-family housing developments could look like under this zoning in the future, in order to visualize real-life examples of this type of housing density. These structures can still fit the character of their towns and cities, while providing much needed additional housing units in these communities. For additional examples of multi-family housing densities in your community, check out MHP’s Residensity tool.

It may also be helpful to discuss your community’s specific housing needs. The Merrimack Valley region, along with the rest of Massachusetts, is experiencing a housing shortage, resulting in increased costs to renters and homeowners. As communities continue to address current housing needs, it is important to think about the variety of housing needs residents may have in the future. MBTA Communities zoning is one of many tools that communities may use to diversify and expand their housing stock to address current and future housing needs.

Ultimately, it will be up to Town Meeting voters and City Council members to decide how their community will respond to the MBTA Communities regulations. At MVPC, we have conducted several public engagement opportunities discussing MBTA Communities over the last several months. We have hosted several in-person sessions discussing communities’ specific requirements, where residents have had the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions. We’ve also attended several Planning Board and Select Board meetings across the Merrimack Valley, providing technical expertise and information to the board members and the public.

Through these collaborative efforts and community engagement techniques, MVPC—along with the cities and towns of the Merrimack Valley—is poised to navigate the complexities of the MBTA Communities law and address critical housing needs for the long term.