Moore continues 40B reform efforts

January 24, 2008 ... In an effort to continue pushing for affordable housing reform, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, has co-sponsored legislation which will help communities more reasonably reach the state’s 10% affordable housing requirement.

“I have been and will continue to be an ardent supporter of reforming our current affordable housing laws,” said Moore. “This legislation is just another effort to promote the partnerships needed to more effectively promote affordable housing in my district and throughout Massachusetts. It is imperative that developers work in conjunction with communities and their leaders rather than pitting one against the other.”

The legislation which Sen. Moore has co-sponsored contains three major components.

Counting 50% of the homeowner units in a Chapter 40B development as being eligible to be included toward a city or town’s affordable housing threshold. (Currently only 25% of the units are counted as affordable. This component would place 40B homeowner developments in line with 40B rental developments, in which 100% of the units are counted as affordable).

Counting mobile homes toward a city or town’s affordable housing threshold.

Exempting municipalities from Chapter 40B developments if a community increases affordable housing production by .5 percent in a year.

In addition to co-sponsoring this late-file legislation, Sen. Moore is also the lead sponsor of legislation to reform Chapter 40B, currently before the Joint Committee on Housing. The proposals in Sen. Moore’s legislation would close certain loopholes used by developers and help towns properly oversee the permitting and construction of a Chapter 40B development.

S. 767 - An Act Reforming MGL Chapter 40B

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