Massachusetts ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Massachusetts Question 7, explained

Single-family homes allowed on lots of 5,000 square feet. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

QUESTION 7: Law Proposed by Initiative Petition — Single Family Homes. 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 (written by the State Attorney General, as required by law): 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.

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Many Massachusetts cities and towns require a large minimum lot — often an acre or more — before a single-family house can be built. Question 7 would set a statewide floor: in a residentially zoned area with public water and sewer, a single-family home could be built on a lot of at least 5,000 square feet with at least 50 feet of frontage. Cities and towns could still regulate height, setbacks, open space, parking and short-term rentals.

If you vote YES

The official statement of effect: "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."
The three conditions are a lot of at least 5,000 square feet, at least 50 feet of frontage on the street or public way the home faces, and access to public sewer and water services.
Cities and towns could still reasonably regulate the height of those homes, their distance from neighbouring buildings, open space, parking requirements, and whether they can be rented short-term.
The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities could issue guidance or regulations to administer the law.
The state's fiscal statement says that if the law enables housing growth it could produce new growth revenue for municipalities, but that the scale cannot be projected, so it finds "no discernible material fiscal consequences."

If you vote NO

The official statement of effect: "A NO VOTE would make no change to the law relative to building single-family homes."
Minimum lot sizes would continue to be set by each city and town in its own zoning bylaw, which in many communities means lots far larger than 5,000 square feet.
Local boards would keep full control over whether a small-lot single-family home can be built, alongside the other zoning tools they already use.
Housing production would continue to depend on local planning, state programmes and existing zoning law.

The numbers that matter

Fiscal effect: no discernible material fiscal consequences; possible positive new growth revenue for municipalities if housing grows
Minimum lot and frontage: 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of frontage, with public sewer and water

Why supporters say YES

"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… 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… 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."
— Official argument in favour, 2026 Information for Voters, authored by Wesley Lima for Legalize Starter Homes

Why opponents say NO

"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… 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."
— Official argument against, 2026 Information for Voters, authored by Adam Chapdelaine for the Massachusetts Municipal Association

What’s genuinely uncertain

How much housing this would actually produce is not established. The state's fiscal statement says it is difficult to project the potential scale of new growth tied to the law.
What counts as "reasonable" local regulation of height, setbacks, open space and parking is not defined in the summary, and could be the practical battleground if the law passes.
The requirement of public sewer and water access limits the law's reach; how many parcels in how many communities meet all three conditions has not been published by either side.

The bottom line

Whether the state should override local minimum lot sizes so a single-family home can be built on 5,000 square feet where there is public water and sewer; supporters say large-lot rules price young buyers out, the state's municipal association says it replaces local planning with one rule for 351 different communities.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:ma.omniballot.us sec.state.ma.us ballotpedia.org

Checking it against the official text

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.

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