Advocates call for more affordable housing options
“More than 50 years after the state passed a law to remove barriers to affordable housing, advocates say low-cost dwellings remain relatively scarce, and many cities and towns have resisted efforts to build new stock.
On Beacon Hill, lawmakers are considering a number of proposals to boost the amount of affordable housing in communities that, advocates say, have used restrictive zoning and pretexts about local impact to reject new projects.
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing heard testimony on several proposals on Tuesday that advocates say will provide more funding for affordable housing projects and ease restrictive local zoning requirements.
One proposal would allow municipalities to implement a fee ranging from 0.5% to 2% on certain real estate transactions. The money would be earmarked for affordable housing projects.”