Why is it so important for cities/towns to have a Master Plan for Affordable Housing?
The Master Plan allows the town to better guide the nature of development, control the rate of development, and more precisely track the progress of affordable housing against the plan. Very importantly, the plan shows how the town intends to provide affordable housing, and makes it easier to exclude developers who want to violate town policies for their own profit. Specifically, when a developer wants to bypass local zoning restrictions under Chapter 40B, the comprehensive permitting process shifts to the state level. If the town does not have a master plan, it is harder to consistently apply guidelines, and it is harder to convince the Board of Appeals that a consistent set of guidelines is being applied.
