AGO issues Dover Amendment guidance
For over 50 years, Massachusetts law has exempted educational and religious uses of land from certain local zoning regulations through the so-called “Dover Amendment,”Massachusetts General Laws chapter 40A, § 3. The statutory exemption is just one sentence long, but it has been given shape by dozens of court decisions applying it to a variety of real-life situations across the state. This guidance summarizes the law of the Dover Amendment as expressed through that case law. It is intended to help municipalities, developers, and residents to understand the types of land use that are exempted from local zoning requirements under the religious and educational use provision of the Dover Amendment and the practical implications of these exemptions.
The Attorney General’s Office will be making related materials, such as FAQs and one-page flyers, available soon on its website.
Housing Opportunities on Public Land (HOPL) Forgivable Loan Program
The MHP Housing Opportunity on Public Land Program is a partnership between MHP and municipalities or local housing authorities to support the creation of new affordable housing on publicly owned land or surplus buildings.
Assessment of Zoning & Permitting for Housing
Funded by MHP's Complete Neighborhood Partnerships program, the Franklin County Council of Governments (FRCOG) completed a regional assessment of six communities in the Greenfield region, identifying common barriers to housing production among smaller, rural communities. The report offers several zoning and policy tools to facilitate production of more diverse housing for communities with housing markets typically found in Franklin County.