‘A murky area’: Milton residents may vote to defy the state’s ambitious housing law. A lawsuit could follow.

Source: bostonglobe.com

At the heart of the state’s housing crisis is a fundamental disconnect: Governor Maura Healey’s administration wants cities and towns to allow more housing, and cities and towns, by and large, do not want to do that.

Now, as two opposing campaigns gear up for a critical vote next week on the Town of Milton’s state-mandated plan to zone for more apartments and condominiums, it appears that disconnect could be tested in court.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office told Milton officials last month that if residents vote against the town’s plan to comply with the MBTA Communities Act — the 2021 law that requires municipalities served by transit to write land-use rules that allow more multifamily housing — she would consider suing the town. And if Campbell’s office doesn’t pursue legal action, it is likely that another legal advocacy group would.