Legalize Starter Homes was launched in July 2025 to support a 2026 ballot question that would would allow single-family homes to be built in any 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. By contrast, many municipalities currently require tracts of land much larger than 5,000 square feet to build a home.

Because land is so expensive in much of Massachusetts, allowing homes on smaller lots will reduce the cost of homes for buyers and will make it so that developers don’t have to build giant McMansions just to justify the cost of assembling the land. Thus, legalizing starter homes in Massachusetts will result in smaller homes, more affordable homes, and more homes in general.

This ballot question was carefully written based on existing state law, evidence from other states that this reform works, and compelling academic studies that large minimum lot size requirements in Massachusetts make homes more expensive and scarce. If this ballot question is successful, it would be nothing less than a far-reaching expansion of opportunity for a new generation of homeowners to thrive in Massachusetts.