DEDHAM, Mass. — Massachusetts voters will decide this November whether to loosen local zoning restrictions and allow single-family homes to be built on smaller lots of land across the state.
Ballot Question 7, known as the “Starter Homes” question, would establish a new statewide minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet for the construction of single-family homes. Currently, minimum lot size requirements are generally determined by local communities, with many Massachusetts towns requiring about an acre of land and some requiring as much as two acres.
Supporters of the measure argue those larger lot requirements have become a significant obstacle to creating affordable housing.
“It has been a key barrier for building more affordable, more reasonably priced starter homes that you need to first purchase so much land before you can do that,” said Daniel Hornung, director of Airbnb’s Housing Accelerator program.
The Housing Accelerator initiative promotes efforts aimed at increasing housing affordability, and Airbnb is backing a “Yes” vote on the ballot question.
“On those lots builders would build homes that middle-class people, young people who are trying to get into home ownership for the first time could afford,” Hornung said. “We really think this is a commonsense reform.”
If approved, the measure would require new homes built under the law to have access to public water and sewer service and at least 50 feet of frontage.
Opponents, however, argue the proposal would take zoning decisions away from local officials who are most familiar with the needs of their communities.
“A significant number of new homes without prior planning could put stress on either a water system, a sewer system or both,” said Adam Chapdelaine, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association does not support the ballot question. In addition to concerns about local control and infrastructure capacity, opponents argue the measure does not guarantee that homes built on smaller lots will be affordable.
“There’s nothing in the ballot question that would make it a smaller house,” Chapdelaine said. “I was in another town the other day that had a 3,800-square-foot house on a 5,000-square-foot lot, five bedrooms, five baths, so you can build quite large on a small lot.”
Airbnb has contributed approximately $100,000 to the “Yes on 7” campaign.
Question 7 is one of nine ballot questions Massachusetts voters will consider during the November election.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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