From January 2023 until January 2026, CHAPA’s MBTA Zoning Technical Assistance provided municipalities with the tools and guidance to navigate new zoning regulations required by the MBTA Communities Law.

Passed in 2021, the innovative MBTA Communities Law aimed to address Massachusetts’ housing shortage by allowing modest types of housing, like duplexes, triple-deckers, and other multi-family housing, near transit. The law also centered equity by requiring homes suitable for families with children.

97% of communities that participated in CHAPA’s technical assistance program approved an MBTA Communities District. Overall, CHAPA helped 90 communities work on their zoning plans through this program.

Please contact Will Rhatigan ([email protected]) to learn more about how CHAPA worked with MBTA Communities to pass compliant multifamily zoning districts.