The passage of the Affordable Homes Act included many of MAPC's legislative priorities, including the allowance of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right. With the new law taking effect in February 2025, in late 2024, MAPC began actively providing opportunities for municipalities to become informed. This included hosting a webinar in December and creating a resource around Accessory Dwelling Units, which you can find here: ADUs webpage. 

Throughout 2024, the MAPC Economic Development Team worked with communities and municipal leaders to produce Zoning Plans for Acton, Essex, Maynard, Millis, and the Norfolk Southwood Hospital. The team also worked with Cohasset to make modifications to their floodplain zoning. 

MAPC's Data Services Analytical Team created a District Suitability Analysis Tool to help communities identify 3A zoning district locations and MAPC created a robust toolkit to help communities better understand the law and its requirements. 

MAPC also completed over a dozen economic feasibility assessments to help communities apply inclusionary zoning or affordability requirements in multifamily zones. 

Throughout 2024, the Task Force met five times and focused on topics including legislative policy, hosted guest speakers from allied housing organizations, brainstormed local program development for new tools (such as the Good Landlord Tax Incentive), and more. The updated webpage includes more information on upcoming housing initiatives.

The final phase of this three-phased project was completed at the end of 2024. The focus of the Braintree Initiative was to transform the Wood Road area into a vibrant economic and cultural hub. 

During 2024, MAPC worked in partnership with the Stoneham Historical Commission who led the development of a town-wide historic preservation plan in conjunction with local stakeholders. The final plan is a comprehensive document focused on preserving Stoneham's cultural and historical heritage. 

In partnership with the Town of Concord, MAPC conducted a survey of older residents in the Summer 2024 focused on how to create more inclusivity in the Concord business areas. Based on the over 300 survey responses received, a need for age-friendly benches was identified. Following the survey, Concord received a $27,000 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to install the benches around the Town Center. 

MAPC’s Economic Development Team began preparing the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). MAPC serves as the Economic Development DIstrict and is required to create the CEDS every five years to set out regional priorities advancing job retention, job creation, and economic resilience and development for the 2025 – 2030 period. 

The CEDS helps to focus attention on target priority projects and will identify economically distressed geographic areas. This work commenced in November 2024, and will conclude in May 2025.