These zoning reforms stem from a bill Governor Charlie Baker pushed for several years called Housing Choice, aimed at making it easier for cities and towns to make major land-use decisions related to housing by requiring only a simple majority vote instead of two-thirds. When they passed that bill in early 2021, lawmakers added the MBTA Communities provision. Baker, who has made housing one of his top priorities, then signed it, over the objections of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
Source: After towns protest, Baker administration scales back housing rules around MBTA – The Boston Globe
