Chapter 40B Housing Production Plan

A Housing Production Plan (HPP) is a community's proactive strategy for planning and developing affordable housing by creating a strategy to enable it to meet its affordable housing needs in a manner consistent with the Chapter 40B statute and regulation

The HPP regulation became effective on February 22, 2008, when the DHCD (now EOHLC) promulgated 760 CMR 56.00, Comprehensive Permit; Low or Moderate Income Housing. The HPP regulation is contained in 760 CMR 56.03(4). HPPs replace Planned Production under 760 CMR 31.07(1)(i).

If a community has a EOHLC approved HPP and is granted certification of compliance with the plan by EOHLC, a decision by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) relative to a comprehensive permit application will be deemed "consistent with local needs" under MGL Chapter 40B. "Consistent with local needs" means the ZBA's decision will be upheld by the Housing Appeals Committee.

Resources

Regulations

Housing Production Plan Guidelines

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

HPP Production Goals

Memo 2020 Housing Production Plans Goals/Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

HPP Plan Approvals (as of July 11, 2025)

HPP Certified Communities (as of March 17th, 2025)

Guidance for Chapter 40B Safe Harbor Submissions Decisions

Workshops, Presentations and Training

Chapter 40B: Past, Present & Future Conference Materials

Chapter 40B Handbook for Zoning Boards of Appeal (March 2017)

40B Highlights

DHCD Guidelines: Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plans

EOHLC Approved Plans

Map of the 351 communities in the Commonwealth. This map is color-coded to signify the status of a community's Housing Production Plan. Screen reader users, please select the links in the below resources section to explore this data.

EOHLC Approved Plans by Municipality

Abington Plan
Acton Plan
Agawam Plan
Amesbury Plan
Arlington Plan 
Ashland Plan

Athol Plan
Auburn Plan
Avon Plan
Ayer Plan
Belchertown Plan

Bellingham Plan
Belmont Plan
Berlin Plan
Billerica Plan
Bolton Plan

Bourne Plan
Boylston Plan
Brewster Plan
Brookline Plan

Canton Plan

Carlisle Plan

Chatham Plan
Cohasset Plan
Concord Plan
Dennis Plan
Dover Plan
Dunstable Plan
Eastham Plan
Easthampton Plan
Easton Plan

Egremont Plan
Falmouth Plan
Franklin Plan
Grafton Plan
Groton Plan

Groveland Plan
Hadley Plan
Hamilton Plan 
Hanover Plan
Harvard Plan
Holliston Plan
Hull Plan
Ipswich plan
Kingston Plan
Lakeville Plan

Lancaster Plan
Lynn Plan
Manchester by the Sea Plan
Mansfield Plan
Marblehead Plan
Marion Plan
Marshfield Plan
Maynard Plan
Medfield Plan 
Medford Plan 
Medway Plan
Melrose Plan

Mendon Plan
Milton Plan
Nantucket Plan

Natick Plan
Norfolk Plan

Northbridge Plan
Norwell Plan

Oxford Plan
Palmer Plan
Peabody Plan
Pepperell Plan
Plymouth Plan

Plympton Plan
Princeton Plan
Quincy Plan
Reading Plan
Rockport HPP
Salem Plan 
Sandwich Plan
Scituate Plan
Sheffield Plan
Sherborn Plan
Shirley Plan
South Hadley Plan

Southborough Plan

Spencer Plan
Stow Plan
Sturbridge Plan
Sunderland Plan

Sutton Plan

Tewksbury Plan

Townsend Plan
Upton Plan
Wareham Plan
Wayland Plan
Wellfleet Plan

Westborough Plan
Westford Plan
Weston Plan
Whately Plan

Winchester Plan
Yarmouth Plan

Date published:	September 11, 2024
Last updated:	September 11, 2024