What does the State Plan do?

• Promotes avenues to make housing more affordable such as inclusionary zoning, zoning changes, and increased density in targeted areas.
• Encourages municipalities to use their existing infrastructure to support higher-density housing.
• Identifies techniques to increase property values, thereby increasing property tax revenue to fund public infrastructure and services.
• Encourages the establishment of public-private partnerships to create more affordable housing options.
• Facilitates the fulfillment of municipal affordable housing obligations by identifying creative ways to incorporate affordable housing in new developments.

Why it matters:

• Enhances workforce diversity and supports local private and public service needs.
• Ensures safe housing for people from all income levels.
• Increases infrastructure efficiency and reduces infrastructure costs.
• Increases property tax revenues to improve public services such as better schools and public spaces.
• Increases the availability of affordable housing near residents’ work or schools.

What does the State Plan do?

• Promotes diverse housing types like starter homes, condos, townhomes, and ADUs (accessory dwelling units) to make homeownership more affordable.
• Prioritizes housing for special needs populations, ensuring they are included in all planning and development processes.
• Advocates for age-friendly housing options that are accessible, integrated with community services, and promote social connection to enable seniors to age in place.
• Encourages building more multi-bedroom rentals and multi-generational households to support families and those working from home.

Why it matters:

• Keeps communities vibrant and growing by assisting young families, workers, and retirees to enter or maintain homeownership.
• Ensures people with special needs are part of the community and have sufficient housing.
• Enables older residents to live independently, remain active, and stay engaged in their communities.
• Gives families and renters sufficient space to live comfortably and thrive.

What does the State Plan do?

• Promotes affordable, quality housing for all—regardless of income or location—to break historic segregation patterns.
• Promotes zoning reforms to allow multifamily developments and ADUs, increasing housing affordability.
• Advocates for fair lending practices to protect housing access for all people, regardless of background or circumstances.
• Encourages redevelopment that upgrades housing without reducing the overall supply of affordable options.
• Supports housing development away from harmful land uses such as landfills or chemical refineries to protect residents' health and safety.

Why it matters:

• Creates equal opportunities for families to live in safe, quality neighborhoods.
• Tackles zoning restrictions that block affordable housing, ensuring more options for everyone.
• Protects residents from being displaced during redevelopment, keeping communities stable.
• Builds healthier environments by avoiding developing housing near polluting or dangerous industrial sites.
• Spreads economic growth beyond city centers, making more areas livable and accessible.

What does the State Plan do?

• Encourages new construction and redevelopment to meet green building standards, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Passive House, to reduce environmental impacts and improve energy efficiency.
• Encourages rehabilitating older homes to meet modern health, safety, and environmental standards, including zero-emission heating.
• Advocates for mixed-income housing with equal amenities for affordable and market-rate units, ensuring access to amenities such as sunlight, broadband, and green spaces.
• Promotes environmentally sustainable design in communities, including solar power, water retention systems, and flood mitigation features.
• Prepares for an aging population by ensuring adequate housing options and services to meet the needs of older residents.

Why it matters:

• Promotes healthier, climate-friendly housing to reduce carbon footprints.
• Ensures older homes are safer, more energy-efficient, and aligned with modern building standards.
• Provides a dignified living space for everyone, ensuring that no one is denied quality housing.
• Protects communities from climate risks such as flooding and extreme heat while making them more sustainable.
• Prepares for a future where nearly one in four residents will be over 65, ensuring housing keeps pace with demographic changes.

What does the State Plan do?

• Encourages housing developments to include green infrastructure, such as EV chargers, bike racks, and pedestrian-friendly designs.
• Promotes Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) to increase transit ridership, reduce vehicular congestion, and improve air quality.
• Advocates for reducing parking mandates near transit, allowing flexibility based on local needs.
• Focuses on integrating safe and efficient multimodal transportation options with housing developments.

Why it matters:

• Makes communities more walkable, bike-friendly, and environmentally sustainable.
• Reduces car dependency, cutting air pollution and improving public transportation.
• Increases the available land by avoiding unnecessary parking requirements.
• Connects residents to jobs, schools, and amenities while supporting a greener future.