MA Voters Narrowly Reject “Starter Homes” Ballot Question

MA Ballot Question 7, which would have barred local ordinances against single-family homes built on residentially zoned lots that have at least 5,000 square feet, 50 feet of frontage and access to public water and sewer service, narrowly lost at the polls by 50.6% to 49.4% (a difference of less than 3,000 votes). The measure…

In recent days, the Cities of Boston and Chelsea announced plans to discuss the elimination of minimum parking requirements in their respective zoning codes. These cities join Somerville and Cambridge, which removed such requirements in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Discussions center around the need to incentivize housing supply and the exorbitant costs per parking space,…

In a letter dated September 16, 2026 to Economic Development bill (S.3228/H.5576) conferees, GBREB supported the following pro-housing supply provisions:

H.5576 Section 8 (planning and zoning board training)
Local planning and zoning board members face a complex landscape of laws, regulations and principles. These volunteers are a key component of a community’s readiness to address the Commonwealth’s housing needs. By providing these individuals with training from urban and regional planners, the above-numbered section offers the necessary tools to make informed decisions and utilize public meeting time efficiently. This training is a valuable investment in our cities’ and towns’ local leadership.

S.3228 Sections 63/64/72; H.5576 Section 48 (site plan review codification)
GBREB supports these sections because they bring greater clarity, consistency, and predictability to the local development approval process while preserving appropriate municipal oversight. Across the Commonwealth, inconsistent site plan review standards and subjective local requirements create unnecessary delays, increase development costs, and discourage investment in new housing.
Although site plan review is widely used by municipalities, it is not expressly authorized by state law, resulting in a patchwork of procedures and standards that vary from community to community. These sections establish clear statewide guardrails by requiring objective, written performance standards and reasonable timelines for municipal action. They ensure that site plan review remains focused on legitimate public health, safety, and infrastructure concerns rather than becoming a barrier to lawful housing development.
The legislation also streamlines the conversion of underutilized commercial properties into housing by establishing a more uniform permitting framework. Today, varying local regulations create costly uncertainty for developers, with those costs ultimately passed on to homebuyers and renters. Every $1,000 increase in the price of a home prices an additional 598 Massachusetts households out of the market, at a time when nearly 80% of households cannot afford the median-priced home.

H.5576 Section 42 (Yes in God’s Back Yard)
The “Yes in God’s Back Yard” (YIGBY) section advances the adaptive reuse of properties owned by religious organizations. By limiting unreasonable zoning restrictions and allowing qualifying projects to proceed by right when they meet established dimensional standards, the legislation unlocks an important source of potential housing. Many religious institutions own significant land and buildings that can be thoughtfully repurposed to meet community housing needs while helping congregations remain financially sustainable.

H.5576 Sections 141 A/B (permit extension)
We appreciate the Legislature and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for taking meaningful steps to address the housing supply crisis in the above-named bill. By extending zoning and permitting approvals in existence between January 1, 2023 and January 1, 2025 for two years in addition to the lawful term of the approval, Amendments 447 and 448 ensure that much-needed housing and other real estate development projects can proceed during a reasonable time between obtaining permits and starting construction.

S.3228 Sections 67/69-71/74/75/109; H.5576 Sections 42-43/45-47/49-50/6-62/69/72/ 74-75/77/86 7, 43-44 (adaptive reuse and commercial conversion)
The above-numbered sections streamline the conversion of underutilized commercial properties into housing by establishing a more uniform permitting framework. Today, varying local regulations create costly uncertainty for developers, with those costs ultimately passed on to homebuyers and renters. Every $1,000 increase in the price of a home prices an additional 598 Massachusetts households out of the market, at a time when nearly 80% of households cannot afford the median-priced home.
Together, these reforms create a more transparent, efficient, and predictable permitting process that reduces unnecessary procedural barriers without diminishing local accountability. Municipalities retain the authority to address legitimate concerns such as traffic, drainage, emergency access, and infrastructure impacts, while objective standards help prevent inconsistent or shifting requirements from delaying needed housing. Establishing uniform expectations across Massachusetts will reduce development risk, encourage responsible housing production, and expand homeownership and rental opportunities for residents across the Commonwealth.

S.3228 Sections 65-66 (duplexes by right)
These sections advance opportunities for development of duplexes and starter home subdivisions, key components of workforce “missing middle” housing in short supply across the Commonwealth. The provisions allowing these housing options by right in residential zoning districts and preventing local zoning and planning authorities from imposing arbitrary or overly restrictive standards that unfairly prevent housing providers from offering these developments that have proven popular (and in significantly short supply) across Commonwealth demographics and geographies, from young families in Greater Boston to empty-nesters in Western Massachusetts and on Cape Cod.

Question 7 on the November 2026 ballot in MA would make it legal to build new single-family homes on lots of 5,000 square feet (about the size of an NBA basketball court) wherever there is public sewer and water service. This measure is an important action to address the Commonwealth’s severe housing supply shortage. GBREB…