State designates 29 new Housing Choice Communities

The Healey-Driscoll administration on April 13 announced 29 Housing Choice Community designations, recognizing cities and towns that are working to support housing production.

The Housing Choice Initiative rewards municipalities that have built new housing units at certain rates or amounts over the last five years and have adopted housing best practices to sustain a modern workforce and increase access to opportunity for Massachusetts residents.

Housing Choice communities receive exclusive access to the Housing Choice Grant Program and receive bonus points or other considerations for other participating programs.

This year’s designations included the first communities awarded new separate Rural and Small Town Housing Choice designation, which was created as a result of input from rural and small towns to ensure that all communities can participate in the state’s housing strategy. (Twelve rural and small communities had previously qualified under the general designation.)

Massachusetts now has 92 Housing Choice Communities statewide, including 65 Housing Choice Communities and 27 Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Communities. This year also marks the largest number of rural and small towns ever designated through the initiative.

“We are working with communities to create more homes, bring down costs, and make it easier for people to stay in the places they love,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a prepared statement. “By expanding this program to rural and small towns, we are making sure every region has the tools to be part of the solution.”

The 29 newly designated communities are: Ayer, Bedford, Bernardston, Bolton, Buckland, Burlington, Deerfield, Douglas, Easthampton, Edgartown, Franklin, Gardner, Gill, Great Barrington, Hamilton, Harvard, Haverhill, Lexington, Lincoln, Lynn, Melrose, New Salem, Newton, Oak Bluffs, Sherborn, Uxbridge, Wellesley, Westport and Wrentham.

All 15 rural and small towns that applied in 2026 received the new designation. Over the past five years, these communities have collectively produced 8,696 units.

Since the start of the initiative in 2018, Housing Choice Communities have produced 79% of all new homes in Massachusetts, including more than 71% of homes built in the past five years.

Visit the Housing Choice Initiative website for more information.