Massachusetts Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative (2026)
| Massachusetts Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Land use and development policy |
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| Status Certified to the legislature |
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| Type Indirect initiated state statute |
Origin |
The Massachusetts Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative may be on the ballot in Massachusetts as an indirect initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
Overview
What would this ballot measure do?
- See also: Measure design
The ballot initiative would require cities and towns to allow single-family homes on residentially zoned lots that meet minimum standards of at least 5,000 square feet in area, at least 50 feet of frontage on a street or public way, and access to public sewer and water services.[1]
According to Massachusetts' Comprehensive Housing Plan for 2025-2029, "Much of Massachusetts is covered by zoning districts that are quite simple: single family homes with a minimum lot area of one-half to two acres."[2] In effect, the initiative would preempt local zoning rules that require lots for single-family homes to be larger than 5,000 square feet, which is about 0.12 acres, as long as the other conditions are met.
Measure design
The measure would prohibit any law or zoning ordinance from restricting single-family residences in a residential zoning district. It would also prohibit any law from requiring a special permit or approval to use land for single-family residences in a residential zoning district. The measure only applies to residential zoning lots that measure at least 5,000 square feet in area, at least 50 feet of frontage on a street or public way, and that have access to public sewer and water services.[1]
The measure would allow the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to issue guidelines and policies, including dimensional setbacks, limits on building size and height, and restrictions on short-term rentals.[1]
Text of measure
Full text
The full text of the ballot measure is below:[1]
Support
Legalize Starter Homes is leading the campaign in support of the initiative.[3]
Supporters
- Jesse Kanson-Benanav, Executive Director of Abundant Housing Massachusetts[4]
- Harvard economics professor Ed Glaeser[4]
- Greg Reibman, president and CEO of the Charles River Chamber[4]
Arguments
Opposition
Opponents
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Arguments
You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
Land prices in Massachusetts
According to Zippia, as of 2023, land in Massachusetts cost more than land in any state in the country except Rhode Island.[5] When considering only farm land, the World Population Review ranks Massachusetts as the third most expensive state for the price of land per acre, as of 2025.[6]
Most policy advocates agree that Massachusetts land and housing is expensive, with the state "[facing] a housing affordability crisis, with costs soaring amid limited supply."[4] But the Common Wealth Beacon states that housing advocates disagree on how to solve the housing affordability crisis, with some stating that removing barriers to building more housing is the solution and others stating that rent control policies are better designed to solve the issue.[4]
MBTA communities law (2021)
In 2021, the Massachusetts General Court passed the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) communities law, also known as section 3A of the Zoning Act. The law created a zoning policy that encourages middle housing in neighborhoods served by public transit. The Massachusetts state government's website on the law explained that the law was designed to solve the Massachusetts housing crisis.[7]
The law requires that MBTA communities have "at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted" without special permits or permission.[7] MBTA communities are defined as a community that hosts MBTA service, is adjacent to a community that hosts MBTA service, or has been added to the MBTA system.[7] In total, there are 177 communities in Massachusetts that are subject to the MBTA communities law. Click here to see a list of communities subject to the communities law.
Path to the ballot
Process in Massachusetts
An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are nine (9) states that allow citizens to initiate indirect state statutes.
While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.
In Massachusetts, the number of signatures required for an indirect initiated state statute is equal to 3% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Massachusetts also has a distribution requirement that requires no more than 25% of the certified signatures on any petition can come from a single county.
The state Legislature has until the first Wednesday of May in the election year to pass the statute. If the legislature does not pass the proposed statute, proponents must collect a second round of signatures equal to 0.5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. The Legislature also has the power to place an alternative measure alongside the proposed statute via a simple majority vote of the state legislature.
A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. However, the number of affirmative votes cast for the measure must be greater than 30% of the votes cast in the election.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures (first round): 74,574
- Signatures (second round): 12,429
- Deadline (first round): The deadline to submit the first round of signatures to the secretary of state was December 3, 2025.
- Deadline (second round): The deadline to submit the second round of signatures is July 8, 2026.
Stages of this initiative
The following is the timeline of the initiative:[8]
- August 5, 2025: The Massachusetts Attorney General announced that the initiative had been filed.
- September 3, 2025: The Massachusetts Attorney General announced that the initiative had been cleared and that supporters could begin gathering signatures for the initiative.
- November 19, 2025: Legalize Starter Homes, the campaign in support of the measure, announced they had collected more than 100,000 signatures in support of the measure.[9]
- January 5, 2026: The state Elections Division announced that it had certified 89,216 valid signatures in support of the initiative. As such, it was certified to go before the state legislature in the 2026 legislative session.[10]
External links
See also
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ballot Initiatives Submitted for the 2026 Biennial Statewide Election (proposed laws) and 2028 Biennial Statewide Election (proposed constitutional amendments), "Initiative Petition for a Law to Allow Single-Family Homes on Small Lots in Areas With Adequate Infrastructure," accessed August 6, 2025
- ↑ Mass.gov, "The zoning framework in Massachusetts," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑ Legalize Starter Homes, "Homepage," accessed December 5, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Common Wealth Beacon, "Remove restrictions that limit more housing? Rein in rents? Voters may face dueling ballot questions advancing competing ideas." accessed December 5, 2025
- ↑ Zippia, "How Much An Acre Of Land Costs In Each State," accessed January 7, 2026
- ↑ World Population Review, "Acre Value by State 2025," accessed January 7, 2026
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mass.gov, "Multi-Family Zoning Requirement for MBTA Communities," accessed January 7, 2026
- ↑ Mass.gov, "Ballot Initiatives Submitted for the 2026 Biennial Statewide Election (proposed laws) and 2028 Biennial Statewide Election (proposed constitutional amendments)," accessed August 6, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Legalize Starter Homes on Facebook," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑ WCVB5, "11 ballot questions clear first hurdle, putting Massachusetts Legislature on deadline to act," accessed January 5, 2026
