Massachusetts Question 7 Would Set 5,000-Square-Foot Lot Minimum

Massachusetts voters will decide Question 7, a ballot measure that would set a statewide floor for residential lot sizes, permitting single-family houses on parcels of 5,000 square feet, WHDH reported on October 26. Minimum lot sizes are currently set by individual cities and towns.

Under the measure, a qualifying property would need at least 50 feet of frontage along the abutting street and connections to municipal water and sewer service.

The campaign group Legalize Starter Homes, which says the question was drafted by roughly a dozen housing specialists including urban planners, land use lawyers and academics, estimates it could produce 2,200 to 5,700 homes a year. The Tufts Center for State Policy Analysis put the likely figure at about 750 annually, while cautioning that its projection carries substantial uncertainty.

"By allowing smaller lots, you're facilitating smaller, lower-cost homes," said Andrew Mikula, chair of Legalize Starter Homes.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association opposes the change, saying zoning decisions belong with local governments and questioning whether water and sewer systems can absorb more construction. Adam Chapdelaine, the group's executive director and chief executive, said existing homeowners could end up paying to enlarge those systems.

The median single-family home in Greater Boston sold for $950,000 in 2024, the third-costliest market nationally. On October 22, Gov. Maura Healey said her administration would make $10 million in financing available to developers of factory-built homes.

This story was first reported by WHDH.