Mass. Ballot Question #7

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Massachusetts voters will face nine ballot questions on their ballot in November.

Question 7 reads as follows:

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

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.

• 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. A NO VOTE would make no change to the law relative to building single-family homes.
• A NO VOTE would make no change to the law relative to building single-family homes.

Question information provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office