'A Pivotal Moment': Healey Proposes Shortening Environmental Review To Speed Housing Development
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey's administration has proposed updating its regulations and approval processes to expedite the production of new housing in the state.
The proposed amendments would shorten the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office's review of qualifying housing projects and streamline reviews for certain ecological restoration projects as defined in Wetlands Protection Act regulations, the office announced Tuesday.
The proposal would cut the time spent on projects reviewed through the office to just 30 days.
It was announced at the site of a multifamily project in Medford, where developer The Davis Cos. said these environmental reviews took seven months, Banker & Tradesman reported. Gov. Maura Healey said at the event that many of these reviews have taken a year or more.
Under the state's proposal, projects that meet certain criteria, including proximity to transit, energy efficiency and "housing-centered" developments, will qualify for an expedited review, according to the proposal.
ULI New England/Boston Director Catherine Rollins said in a statement that the proposed streamlining is the state "demonstrating that bold climate action and equitable development can go hand in hand."
"The proposed MEPA regulatory amendments mark a pivotal moment for Massachusetts to lead the nation in aligning housing production with environmental stewardship," she wrote.
The state has scheduled public hearings on the proposal for Oct. 14 and 15, with the public comment period ending Oct. 31. The state anticipates the amended regulations will go into effect by December.
The changes would mean fewer housing projects have to go through an Environmental Impact Report process. Of the 80 housing and mixed-use projects filed between Jan. 2022 and June 2025, 32 of them didn't exceed the mandatory thresholds for an EIR but were required to complete one due to their location, according to a MEPA presentation.
An EIR process is required if a project is "likely to cause damage to the environment" and is located within a mile of an environmental justice population. The review must analyze the environmental burden and public health consequences of a given project as well as any potential adverse effects to EJ populations.
The proposal would also allow single-family home projects to be exempt if the only MEPA trigger is a wetlands appeal.
The complex requirements and drawn-out review process for housing projects across the state, especially for subsidized affordable housing developments, have made the cost of building housing in Massachusetts higher than many other states, Bisnow reported last month.
In Boston, large affordable housing projects between 2022 and 2024 cost $678K per unit, 43% higher than comparable market rate projects, according to a 2024 city study. The higher cost to develop these projects is in part due to the soft costs associated with doing business in the state, including permitting costs, legal and financing fees, and land acquisition.
California, another state with particularly high building costs, took a similar step this summer by exempting certain multifamily projects from its California Environmental Quality Act. That move was hailed by advocates for housing development as a significant step in the right direction.
Healey has taken prior steps to spur more housing production in Massachusetts. In August 2024, lawmakers passed the $5.2B Affordable Homes Act, which set a housing production goal of 222,000 new units by 2035. The act included several bond authorizations, grants and programs, and it includes the Momentum Fund, which is used to jumpstart larger housing projects across the state.
In June, Healey also identified roughly 450 acres of state-owned land for housing development. And there were already 1,500 housing units underway on other state-owned properties.
