Needham Rejects Ambitious Multifamily Housing Proposal

Needham residents voted against a zoning plan that exceeded the requirements of the MBTA Communities Act, which mandates multifamily housing zoning in areas served by the MBTA. The rejected proposal aimed to allow up to 3,300 new housing units, significantly more than the required 1,784 units, leading to a referendum where nearly 60% opposed the plan. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently upheld the law as constitutional but found previous guidelines unenforceable, prompting the state to reissue them. Governor Healey's administration has given non-compliant municipalities, like Needham, an extension to meet the zoning requirements. Needham is now expected to pursue a more modest plan that meets the base requirements of the law to avoid state penalties. Similar resistance was seen in Milton, which rejected the plan and subsequently lost state grants.