The newburyportnews reports from Salisbury, Mass. manufactured houses cannot be considered affordable housing to help meet the state’s requirement because state law considers MH as temporary. The Town Meeting will petition the legislature to alter the definition to include MH, which will then be sufficient to meet the mandated ten percent of the city’s housing as affordable. Falling below ten percent allows developers to build 40B housing, which MHProNews has learned in Mass. reduces municipal building permit and zoning barriers resulting in higher density dwellings, often beyond control of local authority. The original goal of 40B was to encourage affordable housing production. Salisbury is in the far northeast corner of the state near the Atlantic Ocean.

(Photo credit: Islesboro Affordable Property)