Housing Headlines

MILTON --- Backers of a petition drive delivered thousands of signatures to compel a townwide vote on a controversial zoning plan. The new zoning is required by a state mandate, known as the MBTA communities law, intended to address the regional housing crisis by making it easier to develop apartments and condos, largely around transit stations.

BOSTON --- Redevelopment of the West End branch of the Boston Public Library will include 119 income-restricted, transit-oriented apartments above the library. The project is being developed through the city’s Housing with Public Assets program, which seeks to build affordable housing above municipal buildings.

SALEM --- Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll announced that Salem has become one of two communities to have multifamily zoning districts compliant with the MBTA Communities law. Lexington is the other. Other communities on the North Shore, including Peabody, Beverly and Danvers have said they believe they already meet the requirements or can do so by making minor adjustments to their zoning laws.

WORCESTER --- City Council voted Tuesday to allow the construction of accessory dwelling units as of right in residential districts. The policy requires owners to occupy the property to construct an additional unit. Chief Development Officer Peter Dunn has said the owner-occupancy requirement is intended to prevent outside investors from flipping properties into Airbnbs.

MILTON --- Voters at Town Meeting approved their most significant zoning change in nearly 100 years, loosening the town’s construction rules to encourage more multifamily housing developments, as required by a historic and controversial state law. Opponents say they will begin immediately to gather signatures to trigger a ballot vote on the zoning ordinance.

STATE --- During a meeting in Concord to discuss housing, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward M. Augustus said he's happy that Worcester is considering making accessory dwelling units legal in the city. He met with journalists from several Massachusetts newspapers that are part of the USA Today network to discuss the administration's proposed Affordable Homes Act and take questions.