The American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter (APA-MA) joins Governor Healey and the growing list of statewide organizations endorsing Question 7, Legalize Starter Homes, on the November ballot. Question 7 will allow a single-family home to be built on a lot with at least 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of frontage in any community if the lot has access to public sewer and water services. The goal is to expand the inventory of single-family homes, preserve and grow the state’s workforce, and encourage young people and families to choose Massachusetts.
APA-MA also supports the passage of two major housing bills as part of the Economic Development Bond Bill in 2026 (this is currently in conference committee since the Senate and The House passed different versions of the bill). The following provisions are currently in the Senate version of the bill:
- Allow duplexes as of right in any area zoned for residential development, subject to reasonable setbacks and height regulations that are not more restrictive than a community’s existing rules for single-family dwellings. The Senate’s proposed legislation would allow communities to establish written design guidelines and require site plan review for duplexes as long as local requirements do not make duplex development physically or financially infeasible.
- “Yes in God’s Back Yard,” or the YIGBY Bill, which would allow faith-based institutions to build multi-family housing by right up to 30 units/acre on land they already own. Under legislation proposed by the House, at least 20% of homes in a YIGBY development would have to be income-restricted, and up to two units could be held by the faith-based organization to house its own employees.
APA-MA strongly supports Rep. Kristin Kassner’s proposed bill to standardize Site Plan Review under a common set of rules that will apply in all communities. Site Plan Review reform has been an APA-MA priority for over a decade. This provision is in the Senate version of the Economic Development Bond Bill, not the House. While most cities and towns already have a Site Plan Review process in their zoning codes today, the procedures and requirements vary significantly from place to place, often adding time, expense, and uncertainty to land development. Under the proposed bill, supported in large part by both Senate and House leaders, site plan review would become part of the state Zoning Act and operate under a consistent set of rules statewide, including a 90-day time limit on the review process.
Finally, APA-MA also supports another bill introduced by Rep. Kassner which will institute mandatory training for planning and zoning board members. This provision is only in the House version of the bill. Such training will be required once new members are elected or appointed (within 60 days) and every two years thereafter. Given the complexity of land use decision-making in the Commonwealth, it is vital to support better training for the volunteer land use decision-makers. This is an initiative that would mutually benefit municipalities and project applicants alike since educated decision-makers can undertake their responsibilities in a more predictable and consistent manner.
For more information please contact us at communications@apa-ma.org!