DHCD Releases Compliance Model for MBTA Communities

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released its Compliance Model for estimating the key zoning metrics required under Section 3A of the Zoning Act, which requires communities served by the MBTA to have at least one reasonably sized zoning district where multifamily housing is allowed by-right. 

There are several zoning requirements in Section 3A related to district size and location, multi-family unit capacity, gross density, and other benchmarks. The compliance model ensures a standard way of evaluating and estimating multi-family zoning districts on these metrics across all MBTA communities.

According to DHCD, the compliance model was developed to create reasonable estimates that can be used to verify compliance with Section 3A. It is not intended to be as rigorous as a full, detailed build out analysis. Therefore, while the outputs from the model provide good estimates relative to the compliance metrics, they do not provide absolute measures of development potential. The development of the model was completed with the input and assistance of consultants and other experts and key stakeholders.

There is technical assistance available for municipalities seeking support as they use the model. Additional resources, guides, and examples will be posted to DHCD's website as they become available.

Also available are the necessary land maps for every MBTA community, a compliance model user guide, and a sources and methodology explainer.

Finally, there are several reference layers available for download that are essential for calculations or helpful as references for those tasked with operating the model.