Voters headed to the polls in Milton, Massachusetts, Wednesday to determine if multi-family housing units should be added near MBTA transit stops, to bring the town into compliance with state law.
This plan has divided residents in town. The Boston Globe reported Wednesday night that about 54% of residents had voted against it.
"The Healey-Driscoll administration is deeply disappointed that Milton's zoning plan was rejected," Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus said in a statement. "This is not only a loss for Milton but for our entire state, as we desperately need more housing near transit to lower costs."
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At issue is whether the town should comply with the MBTA Communities Act, which was passed nearly three years ago and mandates cities and town served by the T to create multi-family housing.
"While we are hopeful that we can work with the town to put forward a new plan that would bring them into compliance with the MBTA Communities Law, at this time they are non-compliant, which means they will begin losing out on significant grant funding from the state," Augustus said. "We are grateful to the 175 communities that are in compliance with the law for recognizing that we all have a role to play in addressing our state’s housing challenges."
"My office has made it clear that compliance with the law is mandatory," Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said on social media. "When a municipality elects to evade its responsibility to comply with the law, we will meet our responsibility to enforce the law."
Lawmakers believe it would help address the state's well documented housing crisis. However, not everyone agrees.
"The housing crisis is everywhere," said Diane Casey, who said she was voting no. "We would like everyone to live in the town, you know? We have to have accommodations."
She was one of many people who turned out Wednesday morning — the election was delayed a day, with the nor'easter that hit Tuesday creating potentially unsafe conditions for voters — with signs to make their voices heard.
Opponents of the measure say additional housing would put a burden on the town's already dense population of roughly 27,000 people, and argue that the Mattapan Trolley, which serves Milton, isn't the kind of rapid transit mentioned in the legislation.
Milton is affected because the law affects communities with access to the T's rapid transit system, the Red, Blue, Green and Orange lines. The trolley is considered an extension of the Red Line.
Supporters say that everyone across the state needs to contribute to build the housing stock.
"I'm really in favor to providing more access to housing," said Hal Munger, another demonstrator out Wednesday morning.
Gov. Maura Healey has said that communities that don't comply with the law won't get state grants, and the attorney general has also threatened legal action for noncompliance.
Healey has weighed in on Milton's vote in particular, too: "We need communities like Milton and communities across the state to do what needs doing, in terms of creating more housing opportunities and availabilities."
