The Superior Court has ruled in favor of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in a case involving the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Communities Law. This law requires cities and towns served by public transportation to create zones for multi-family housing to address the state’s housing shortage, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Nine lawsuits filed by various communities and residents challenging the legislation were dismissed by the court. The plaintiffs argued the law was an unfunded mandate that unfairly burdened local areas. However, the Superior Court ruled that the state’s requirement is allowed to help address housing shortages. The court denied the plaintiffs’ request for an exemption, clearing the way for broader housing development near Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service areas, as reported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell commented on the court’s dismissal of lawsuits against a state law requiring multi-family housing districts near public transportation. She said, “Today’s decision is a win for Massachusetts and so many of us affected by the statewide housing crisis. The Superior Court confirmed what has long been clear: a state law requiring multi-family housing districts in communities served by public transportation, but leaving the details and location of those districts to the municipalities themselves, permissibly addresses our housing shortage while still preserving substantial local discretion.” The rulings allow communities to comply with the law, and the Attorney General’s Office plans to work with municipalities on implementation, as stated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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