The MBTA Communities Law is a bipartisan law passed by the Legislature and signed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in January 2021 to address the regional housing crisis affecting metropolitan Boston.

It requires 177 towns served by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), including Norwood, to adopt zoning that allows as-of-right development of multifamily housing in districts within half a mile of commuter rail, subway, bus stations or ferry terminals.

The law requires that districts be at least 50 acres, allow at least 15 units per acre, be suitable for families with children, and carry no age restrictions.

“Multi-family housing” means a building with 3 or more residential dwelling units or 2 or more buildings on the same lot with more than 1 residential dwelling unit in each building. More here.

Massachusetts has among the highest home prices and rents of any state in the nation. (Norwood is located within the most expensive Fair Market Rent area in Massachusetts.)

These high costs are pricing families out of communities, preventing older adults from downsizing, creating challenges for local employers, and causing many people to move to other states where housing is more affordable.

Our regional housing crisis results from multiple factors, including inadequate housing supply and exclusionary zoning by suburban Boston communities.

A special Town Meeting is scheduled for March 21 to consider a zoning article to comply with the law. Click here to view warrant. (Articles 4 & 5)

Norwood must comply with the state law by December 31, 2024.

Norwood is defined as a “commuter rail community” because we have three MBTA commuter rail stations in town. Under the law, our zoning must allow at least 15% of total units to be multi-family, or at least 2,045 multi-family units.

The law does not require these units to be built. The Town’s Community Development Department estimates that, in reality, about 300 new units will be developed in the coming years, if the bylaw is approved as written.

There are three separate districts - one near each of the three commuter rail stations: Norwood Central, Norwood Depot, and Windsor Gardens.

The districts include properties that are zoned for industrial, commercial, or multifamily residential, or a combination thereof.

To view the districts on a town-wide map, click here.

Developing underutilized and vacant lots will create new tax revenue for the Town. Here are photos of the four existing lots expected to be redeveloped:

• East Hoyle Street manufacturing

• Lenox Street manufacturing

• Lenox Street commercial 1

• Lenox Street commercial 2.

Increasing the diversity of housing options will enable older adults to downsize and continue to live in Norwood.

Increasing our supply of smaller units — such as duplexes, townhouses, and small apartment or condo buildings — will help moderate prices and make home ownership more affordable for young families.

Additional housing close to public transit will promote small business development, strengthen our local economy, preserve green space, and lower Norwood’s carbon emissions.

Increasing the supply of affordable housing will promote equity and strengthen the town’s diversity.

Yes, the proposed zones include existing multi-family developments such as Windsor Gardens, Avalon, The Crossings, Lenox Station, and Print Lofts. There is little, if any, economic incentive to redevelop those existing properties. This means Norwood should expect to see less new units developed compared to many other towns.

In other suburban and rural communities with less, if any, multifamily developments on the ground, the new unit totals will be much closer to the amount permitted by zoning under the law.

The Town’s Planning Board created an MBTA Communities Task Force, which led a community engagement process, including an online survey and a series of public forums held last spring and summer for a variety of stakeholders, including residents and business owners.

Based on the community feedback, the Task Force developed zoning recommendations and submitted them to the Planning Board. The town’s Community Development Department then incorporated feedback from the Planning Board, which voted to send it to Town Meeting. The Planning Board voted unanimously to support the new bylaw.

The law does not mandate construction of any new housing.

It does not dictate what type of multi-family housing (i.e. apartments, condos) may be permitted under new zoning.

It does not allow for multi-family development in neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family homes. The proposed districts currently are comprised of industrial, commercial, and multi-family residential uses.

The Norwood Department of Community Development website is a good source for clear, objective information about how the law affects Norwood and how the Town is planning to comply.

Click here for more FAQs addressed by the Town.