Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)

Citation: Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)
Jurisdiction: Arlington (municipal)
Source: Official source
Original Source: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57214/637641171662530000 ↗

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Expanded Fair Housing Protections in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has its own fair housing law contained in M.G.L. Chapter 151B, described at Fair Housing Legal
Framework on page 16.

Chapter 40B
Massachusetts’ Chapter 40B is a landmark law that creates a disincentive for communities wishing to restrict
affordable housing production. For communities in which less than 10% of homes are officially counted
affordable housing, developers of mixed-income housing may build beyond what is allowed under local zoning.
The law also provides a mechanism for communities who voluntarily want to override their zoning for a particular
development in order to produce mixed-income housing or affordable housing. Chapter 40B is a major driver of
affordable housing development in many suburban communities, where opposition to new housing (especially
mixed-income housing) is well organized. The law is also regularly misunderstood as providing a target for
affordable housing production, rather than a minimum threshold.

Resources Dedicated to Housing
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has numerous resources dedicated to the production of housing, particularly
housing options that are more accessible to those in some protected classes. Many of these programs are
managed or regulated by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). These programs
include (but are not limited to):