Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin has certified an initiative petition that would allow single-family homes to be constructed by right on any parcel of land located in a zoning district that allows residential uses, if the parcel contains at least 5,000 square feet in area, has at least 50 feet of street frontage and has access to public sewer and water services.
The proponents of Initiative Petition No. 25-03 were found to have successfully collected the 74,574 certified signatures of registered Massachusetts voters necessary to potentially place the question on the ballot in November. The petition will now be submitted to the Legislature which has until the first Wednesday in May to act on the proposal. If the Legislature does not enact the initiative into law, supporters of the petition must collect an additional 12,429 certified signatures by July 1 to actually place the question before voters on November 3.
The initiative petition is the brainchild of a grass-roots organization called Legalize Starter Homes. Legalize Starter Homes was launched in July 2025 to support a ballot question to amend the state Zoning Act (G.L. c. 40A) to create small lots that would make it economical for builders to develop smaller, more affordable homes for individuals and families of average means, so-call “starter homes.” Legalize Starter Homes claims that its 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 single-family homes scarce and more expensive.
The HBRAMA strongly supports Initiative Petition No. 25-03, believing that if approved by voters, it will create an historic opportunity for its members to again build affordable single-family homes for first-time and first-generation homebuyers.
More information about Legalize Starter Homes can be found here. An op-ed published in The Boston Globe in support of the initiative petition can be found here.