Five years after MBTA Communities Act was signed, on January 29, 2026, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell has filed a lawsuit against nine Massachusetts communities for failing to establish a zoning district in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.
The nine towns – Dracut, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Marblehead, Middleton, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Winthrop – were required to have compliant zoning districts by July 14, 2025, but have not done so, says the AG’s office.
“Massachusetts has a housing crisis, and our Commonwealth is unaffordable. The vast majority of MBTA Communities deeply understand that developing more multi-family housing will improve our ability to attract businesses, retain our families and residents, and ensure that Massachusetts remains the greatest state in the country to live, start a family, and work,” said AG Campbell. “While bringing a lawsuit is never my first choice, courts have consistently ruled that compliance with this law is mandatory, and the urgency of our housing shortage compels me to act to ensure that all MBTA Communities meet their legal responsibilities. My office remains ready to assist any town working to come into compliance with the law.”
Under the MBTA Communities Act, each community served by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority must adopt a zoning district in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right. According to the AG’s office, 165 of 177 MBTA Communities have complied, and resulting projects could create nearly 7,000 additional homes in 34 communities.
In November 2025, Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll was on hand in Westwood to celebrate the opening of a mixed-use, multi-family housing project at 22 Everett Street, completed under the MBTA Communities Act by developer Giorgio Petruzziello. The development includes 160 apartments, including 39 affordable units, and sits on just over 6 acres.
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