General

Our campaign is gaining momentum

Read news coverage about our initiative:

The New York Times: How to Stop the Affluent From Rigging the Housing Market

New York Times Editorial Board — May 31, 2026

“The campaign, Legalize Starter Homes, is now trying to gather the nearly 12,500 signatures it needs before June 17 to place the measure on the ballot. We endorse the initiative.”

The Boston Globe: A 5,000-square-foot solution to. the Massachusetts housing crisis

Andrew Mikula — January 10, 2026

“A May 2025 Abundant Housing Massachusetts/MassINC poll found that 78 percent of Massachusetts voters support ‘allowing homes to be built on smaller lots,’ and 72 percent support allowing the subdivision of large lots into smaller lots. Doing so would open up more housing options in the suburbs, creating opportunities to build smaller, lower-cost homes suitable for first-time buyers and downsizing seniors, colloquially called ‘starter homes.’”

Boston25: ‘I want to be a homeowner’: Push to create more single-family homes could be. on the ballot this fall

Ray Villeda & Bob Dumas — February 11, 2026

“According to the National Association of Realtors, the median age of a first-time buyer was 29 years-old in 1981. It rose to 33 years-old in 2021. By last year, the median age hit 40 years-old. As a housing policy researcher, Mikula decided it was time to act. He created Legalize Starter Homes and began collecting signatures for a ballot question in this year’s election.”

New Bedford Light: Ballot push seeks to ‘legalize starter homes’ statewide

Jamie Perkins — March 3, 2026

“Amid Massachusetts’ housing shortage, a potential measure on the November ballot aims to “legalize starter homes” by altering zoning laws across the state. Although local planners say the measure would likely have limited impact on New Bedford, it would significantly change zoning in parts of Dartmouth and Fairhaven.”

CommonWealth Beacon: Remove restrictions that limit more housing?Rein in rents? Voters may face dueling ballot questions advancing competing ideas.

Michael Jonas — August 6, 2026

“Mikula is leading a group billing itself Legalize Starter Homes, which filed a petition Tuesday for a ballot question that would prevent municipalities from requiring minimum lot sizes greater than 5,000 square feet for single-family homes and frontage requirements greater than 50 feet in residential areas with existing water and sewer infrastructure. Mikula said inadequate supply is “at the root” of the regional housing affordability crisis, something that can only be addressed by making it easier to build more homes at lower price points.”

The Heights: Real Estate Leaders Express Optimism as MBTA Zoning Law Reshapes Massachusetts Housing Plans

Jisu Yee — February 1, 2026

“‘Massachusetts is the hardest state in the country for young adults to buy a home,’ Mikula said. ‘Seniors in the suburbs are trapped in their homes because they don’t have somewhere nearby to downsize. Small business owners have a hard time attracting and retaining employees, because those employees can’t find or afford a home.’”

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