Why was the law passed?

Massachusetts has among the highest and fastest growing home prices and rents of any state in the nation.

These high costs are pricing families out of communities, preventing seniors from downsizing, creating challenges for local employers to retain workers, and causing young families to move to other states where housing is more affordable.

Inadequate housing supply and restrictive zoning by suburban communities are major contributors to this housing crisis. Holden, like many MBTA suburban communities, uses zoning to prohibit most multi-family housing. According to the 2019 Town of Holden Master Plan, 83% of the town’s housing units are single family homes. (Chapter 4, pp. 36-7)