Haverhill Gazette
The lawsuit asks the state Supreme Judicial Court judge to force the town of Milton to comply with the so-called MBTA Communities Act that requires cities and towns to zone for more apartments and townhomes close to buses and trains.
"The MBTA Communities law was enacted to address our region-wide need for housing, and compliance with it is mandatory," Campbell told reporters at a briefing Tuesday. "We've made it clear to Milton every step of the way that if you do not come into compliance, and you choose to go another way, we're going to enforce the law."
She added, "Other municipalities may be doubting that — they shouldn't. We hope that we won't have to file lawsuits against other municipalities to bring them into compliance."
Two weeks ago, voters in Milton rejected the plan to build more housing, despite threats from the Healey administration to pull "significant" grant funding.
Critics of the plan, who gathered thousands of signatures to put the issue before a town meeting, argued that the zoning plan is unfair and would force the town of 28,000 residents to build at least 2,461 new housing units near public transit.
The Healey administration made good on threats to cut funding last week, telling Milton officials that it is no longer eligible for a $140,000 seawall improvement grant as a result of the town's noncompliance.
At least 177 communities are subject to the MBTA Communities Act, which was passed in early 2021 by then-Gov. Charlie Baker with near-unanimous support from the Legislature.
The law requires so-called MBTA communities to establish multifamily zoning within a half a mile of commuter rail stations, ferry terminals, or bus stations. Under the law, the zoning districts must be suitable for families with children.
Locally, Gloucester , Rockport , North Andover , Methuen , Lawrence and Newburyport are among communities along the MBTA's system that are weighing plans to approve local zoning changes to comply with the law. Some, like Haverhill , have been told they are already in compliance.
Campbell said she isn't trying to make an example out of Milton . She said her office wants to work with local governments and solve the housing crisis.
"We're not framing this as a fight," she said Tuesday. "This is a crisis that we all have a role in solving. It's about the future of our commonwealth, our workforce, and the next generation having an opportunity to live here and call Massachusetts home."
Healey and legislative leaders are seeking to spur more home building amid the shrinking inventory that is edging first-time buyers out of the market. The prolonged housing crunch is also impacting the state's economic growth, making it much harder to attract new families and businesses, they say.
A $1 billion tax relief package signed by Healey in October included re-authorization of a low-income tax credit program and housing development incentive program, which are also aimed at spurring housing production.
The governor has also filed a $4.1-billion borrowing plan that calls for investing in a broad range of tax breaks, changes to state laws, and other efforts to spur construction of new housing.
Greg Vasil , CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, praised Campbell for enforcing the requirements "and taking action against Milton for its disregard for the law."
"The MBTA Communities Act is not optional," he said in a statement. "The only hope for Massachusetts to solve its crushing housing crisis is for communities across the state to philosophically commit and operationally lay the groundwork for the production and construction of more housing."
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group's newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com .