Developer lies and tired rhetoric stopped dead by facts: Communities Winning Despite 40B Burdens

The documented growth imposed on Massachusetts communities by 40B has left municipalities permanently scarred by rapid growth that costs more than it generates in tax revenues. These 40B projects have produced embarrassingly inadequate "affordable" housing contributions while saddling communities with traffic saturation, suffering from unaffordable housing, a lost sense of community and a degraded environment. Most communities will never recover from the negative impact on quality of life that these projects have imposed, yet 40B's forced growth continues while Beacon Hill and developer lobbyists argue that communities are being obstructionists. Well that lie has been proven wrong yet again.

In a recent housing report by the Center for Urban & Regional Policy at Northeastern University, an analysis of the state's affordable housing index, 40B tracking reports, and production reported by municipalities indicates that cities and towns have outpaced 40B in the necessary production of affordable housing. This information corroborates the assertion of the Massachusetts Municipal Assocation that cities and towns have been proactive about producing affordable housing with recent gains of approximately 2,000 units per year with limited subsidies.

This positive news shatters the negative image of communities carefully created by developer lobbyists who try to blame cities and towns for obstructing affordable housing production. Proving that affordable housing can be produced better, cheaper and without the forced market-rate growth of 40B, this data should bolster citizen confidence to push forward with stopping 40B. By repealing the most destructive parts of the statute: Sections 20-23, cities and towns can finally be free from the burdens that 40B forces on them. With a record that proves municipalities have produced at least 5,484 units of affordable housing more than 40B in just a few years, it is obvious that a proactive change is needed.

Not only did 40B develop less affordable units than communities, but they weren't as affordable. These supposed 40B "contributions" were joined by 20,000 unaffordable and unnecessary units that violated local zoning.

Repealing 40B will be following in the footsteps of other states who recognized decades ago that in order to produce real affordable housing, states should not subsidize the construction of upscale, market-rate homes as is done by 40B. This might explain why the American Planning Assocation has called 40B "the most regressive planning legislation in the nation."

There is no better time for you to help Move Massachusetts Forward. After years of reform efforts, Beacon Hill needs to hear why you want to stop what the Inspector General calls "one of the biggest abuses in state history." Click here to help us now.