Housing Headlines

BRAINTREE --- Braintree has passed a series of zoning changes to promote multifamily housing in four areas of the town. The requirement means Braintree must allow zoning that could create at least 3,769 apartments or condominiums, which is one-quarter of the town’s existing housing units.

QUINCY --- City Council approved two zoning districts to make it easier to build multifamily housing near the Quincy Adams and North Quincy MBTA stations. The districts were designed by the city's planning department to comply with the MBTA Communities Act, which seeks to ease the state's housing crunch by requiring zoning more land to potential multifamily development, most within half a mile of an MBTA station.

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.