Single Family Homes
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Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026? SUMMARY: This proposed law would allow single-family homes to be built in a residentially zoned area as long as the land on which it is to be constructed is at least 5,000 square feet, has at least 50 feet of land bordering the street, road, or public way that it faces, and has access to public sewer and water services. The proposed law would allow cities and towns to reasonably regulate certain aspects of those single-family homes, including their height, distance from neighboring buildings, open space, parking requirements, and whether they can be rented out on a short-term basis. The proposed law would also allow the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to issue guidance or regulations to administer the proposed law.
A YES VOTE would allow single-family homes to be built on lots of 5,000 square feet or more in residential areas, subject to reasonable local regulation of certain aspects of those homes.
A NO VOTE would make no change to the law relative to building single-family homes.
Not published by the state
If the proposed law enables the growth of housing in communities, it could provide positive new growth revenues to municipalities. However, it is difficult to project the potential scale of new growth tied to the proposed law. The proposed law thus has no discernible material fiscal consequences for state and municipal government finances.
Massachusetts is the hardest state in the country for young adults to buy a home. The middle class is shrinking because housing costs have doubled since 2014. Many seniors are stuck in their homes without somewhere nearby to downsize. Massachusetts residents, especially young people, are leaving the state to find a more affordable place to live, separating extended families and hurting our economy. Requiring huge lot sizes to build a single-family home makes houses expensive, reduces construction of new single-family housing, and encourages developers to build giant McMansions to recoup land costs. Anyone who needs a low-cost, single-family suburban home is all but locked out of the market. A yes vote would reduce minimum lot size requirements to 5,000 square feet - a size more typical of suburbs nationwide - in places with sufficient infrastructure, so we can have more affordable homes for young families and seniors.
Wesley Lima Legalize Starter Homes P.O. Box 9536 Lowell, MA 01853 617-506-9464 Legalizestarterhomes.com
Vote NO on question 7. Massachusetts needs more housing, but this statewide ballot measure is the wrong approach. It would override local planning by requiring every city and town to allow single-family homes on lots as small as 5,000 square feet, regardless of existing neighborhoods, infrastructure or environmental conditions. Local officials are directly responsible to taxpayers, and this would remove significant oversight on behalf of their residents. They understand their communities best, and work with residents to plan for housing while balancing public safety, traffic, water and sewer capacity, schools, and environmental protection. This proposal replaces thoughtful local planning with a one-size-fits-all mandate that ignores the individual needs of all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. Communities should continue expanding housing through local planning and collaboration—not through a statewide mandate that removes local decision-making. Vote NO.
Adam Chapdelaine Massachusetts Municipal Association 3 Center Plaza, Suite 610 Boston, MA 02108 617-426-7272 www.mma.org
Both columns use the same layout. Text is quoted from the official state guide. Views expressed belong to the argument authors.