Gov. Baker Pushing Bill to Overhaul Housing Zoning Rules

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts economy is on a tear, but the surge in new business development is also turbocharging the cost of finding a place to live.

As lawmakers filter back to Beacon Hill from the August break, Gov. Charlie Baker is renewing his call for legislation he said will help local communities produce more housing.

Baker is pushing his “Housing Choice” bill, which would let cities and towns adopt zoning rules related to housing by a simple majority vote of their governing body, rather than the current two-thirds supermajority required.

Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states to require a supermajority to change local zoning rules.

Baker said it has been frustrating to watch housing proposals fail in recent years because developers failed to secure the two-thirds vote.

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