Towns would exclude sites below flood levels from affordable housing land counts

Towns would leave these sites out of vacant-land counts for affordable housing. This applies when a town counts vacant land available for its affordable housing plan. A site must be below the latest federal flood elevation, below the applicable state flood elevation standard, or within 100 feet of state-designated Category One waters. The exclusion would start on the first day of the seventh month after enactment. State environmental officials would issue rules to guide these decisions by that day.

Towns could lower future affordable housing targets under a population growth cap. The cap applies to future housing targets. Unmet duties from earlier rounds remain separate. For the cap, each home counts as four residents, except a home for seniors counts as two. A town may use the existing 1,000-home cap if it gives the town a lower target. The population cap would take effect immediately if the bill becomes law.