DHCD provides some incentives for communities to develop and implement housing plans. By creating a Chapter 40B Housing Production Plan that receives DHCD approval, a community may be able to work toward the 10 percent statutory minimum at a pace it can control. A plan that addresses DHCD’s requirements should include the following components:

„„ Housing needs analysis that considers needs at all market levels but particularly the needs of very low, low-, moderate-, and middle-income households. The analysis also considers the impact of regional population growth on demand for affordably priced housing and how the community can provide for its fair share of that demand. In addition, the needs analysis should identify local barriers to housing development – such as regulatory or infrastructure barriers – and discuss the community’s plans to mitigate those barriers.

„„ Goals, which are both numerical and qualitative. The goals should include the community’s low and moderate-income housing targets and the types of housing that will be needed in order to provide suitable units for households priced out of the market.

„„ An implementation plan with achievable strategies to increase the supply of SHI Eligible Housing and other housing to address regional needs. DHCD expects communities to look at all types of potential strategies: identifying locations that would be appropriate for higher-density housing, adopting zoning for multifamily housing, approving comprehensive permits; making surplus town property available for housing development, and pursuing other options such as creating Chapter 40R overlay districts