Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act — Multi-Family Zoning Requirement (MGL c. 40A §3A) (MA)
Tracked preemption from the Massachusetts overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
2021-01-14
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:MA
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
city.is_mbta_community == TruePreempted fields
4 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[category=res_mf].allowed_uses | add | multifamily_residential | Multi-family must be permitted as of right in at least one qualifying district |
base_districts[category=res_mf].max_units_per_acre | floor_at | 15 | Minimum gross density of 15 units/acre in the §3A district |
review_type | waive_discretionary | — | As-of-right approval; no special permit or discretionary review for MF within §3A district |
base_districts[category=res_mf].age_restrictions | waive | — | Districts cannot be age-restricted; must be suitable for families with children |
Citation
Authority source
MGL c. 40A §3A (Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2020) + 760 CMR 59.00
§ §3A; implementing regs 760 CMR 59.00 (EOHLC)
Research notes
Applies to 177 MBTA communities (rapid transit, commuter rail, adjacent, adjacent-small-town categories). Qualifying district: ≥50 acres OR 1.5% of developable land (whichever is less); ≤0.5 miles from commuter rail / subway / ferry / bus station where applicable; unit capacity up to 25% of existing housing stock. Compliance deadlines: rapid transit Dec 31 2023; commuter rail / adjacent Dec 31 2024; adjacent-small-town Dec 31 2025. Enforcement by AG + EOHLC; non-compliance forfeits eligibility for Housing Choice, Local Capital Projects, MassWorks, HousingWorks funding. SJC confirmed mandatory nature in Attorney General v. Town of Milton (2025). As of 2026-01-23: 133 fully compliant, 7 conditional, 25 interim, ~12 non-compliant.