Baker pushes to relax zoning controls in effort to help build new housing

Gov. Charlie Baker made a push Tuesday to relax zoning controls in cities and towns in an effort to help build new housing."We cannot solve this problem if we don't do anything about it,” Baker said during a government affairs forum.Baker announced he's filing a new housing bill to produce 135,000 new housing units by 2025.He’s urging business leaders to push legislators to make it happen.“This is an economic issue. Where is the next generation of your employees going to come from? And where are they going to live? And how are they going to afford to be here?” Baker said.Baker filed a similar bill last year, but it failed to surface for a vote. He said this new bill incorporates feedback from the Legislature to try to achieve the same goal.“Our hope is that people will find a way to get past the state and local things, which I think are sort of the big issues here. We need to get into the production business if we are going to give young people and young families an opportunity to stay here,” Baker said.The governor is expected to file this legislation as early as Wednesday.

Gov. Charlie Baker made a push Tuesday to relax zoning controls in cities and towns in an effort to help build new housing.

"We cannot solve this problem if we don't do anything about it,” Baker said during a government affairs forum.


Baker announced he's filing a new housing bill to produce 135,000 new housing units by 2025.

He’s urging business leaders to push legislators to make it happen.

“This is an economic issue. Where is the next generation of your employees going to come from? And where are they going to live? And how are they going to afford to be here?” Baker said.

Baker filed a similar bill last year, but it failed to surface for a vote. He said this new bill incorporates feedback from the Legislature to try to achieve the same goal.

“Our hope is that people will find a way to get past the state and local things, which I think are sort of the big issues here. We need to get into the production business if we are going to give young people and young families an opportunity to stay here,” Baker said.

The governor is expected to file this legislation as early as Wednesday.