Affordable housing is still a priority for Mass. officials

Finding room for housing is no easy task in Massachusetts, but local leaders across the Commonwealth are looking for opportunities wherever they might be.

A new development of 106 units is cropping up in crowded Cambridge and in cities like Salem have quickly come into compliance with the MBTA Communities Law.

“All of this goes to address our housing crisis across the state, not just calls in our office, but just the rising cost of buying a home,” said Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

On a walking tour of the Witch City, Campbell praised efforts to add housing above pre-existing storefronts and commended Mayor Dominick Pangallo for embracing the rezoning process.

But not every community has taken the same approach to the MBTA Communities Law. Towns like Milton and Holden are currently noncompliant, and others are drawing out the process through a December deadline.

Massachusetts Housing Secretary Ed Augustus says while those holdouts do cause some concern, he’s confident everyone will rally around this crisis in the end.

“Every community has to do their fair share, not more than their fare share, because every community has people who can’t afford to stay there,” Augustus said.

Meanwhile, other efforts are underway to try and improve the state’s housing situation, including the $4 billion Affordable Homes Act.

“Twenty-eight policy changes, we’re hearing that it will be debated by the House of Representatives next week and as soon as that gets on the Governor’s desk, combined with the MBTA Communities Law those two things are going to relieve a lot of the pressure on the housing ecosystem,” said Augustus.

Stay with NBC 10 Boston for more on the state’s housing efforts and which communities are in compliance with the MBTA Communities Law.

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