Massachusetts Considers Eliminating Single-Family Zoning

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are eyeing a change that could mean the end of single-family zoning in the state.

Lawmakers inserted a provision into a major economic development bill, S.3178, that would allow two-family and residential duplexes in all residential districts that now allow single-family homes. The provision is aimed at addressing a shortage of housing, state Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Cape Cod) said.

“These two-family homes are not large apartment buildings,” Cyr said. “They aren’t large-scale developments. They’re often built by small contractors. But we think they can make a big difference in making Massachusetts more affordable.”

Realtor.com® ranked Massachusetts the second-worst state for homebuilding and affordability this year. With a median listing price of $763,660 and a median household income of $99,357 in the Bay State, only New York is worse.

Experts blame the poor affordability in Massachusetts on the state’s strict energy efficiency codes, high affordability requirements, restrictive zoning bylaws, and labyrinthine local approvals process.

The affordability crunch has consequences across the state. In Boston, there’s a severe shortage of starter homes. In Worcester, there are few options for middle-income earners.

The new zoning proposal there is one of an increasing number of housing bills nationwide aimed at loosening zoning codes to build more housing.

Economic development

S.3178 includes $325 million in obligations involving a few different areas of Massachusetts’ economy. The bill builds on an economic development package Gov. Maura Healey submitted earlier this year and which has been passed in the state’s House of Representatives, boosting its chances.

It sets aside $100 million to support defense industry jobs, $75 million for the development of artificial intelligence, and $45 million to boost business districts and small businesses.

But the housing provision “doubles down on the Senate’s commitment to rapidly grow the state’s housing supply and meet demand,” the Senate said in a news release.

That provision has some guardrails. The two-unit developments are subject to some septic requirements, site plan reviews, and local rules that limit where units can go.

There are a few other housing provisions in the bill, too.

It aims to create a grant incentive program to reward cities that put in place policies that increase housing supply. It also creates an easier path to home inspector licensure to increase the number of inspectors in the state.

And it requires timely review of all new housing projects, including a goal for a 90-day decision deadline for site-plan reviews. That same provision tackles the timeliness of hearings, appeals, and decision-making processes, in order to speed up reviews.

Massachusetts voters will also get a chance to vote on a ballot initiative this fall that would allow single-family units to be built on smaller lots.

That proposal would green-light single-family homes on lots of 5,000 square feet, or about 0.11 acre. Cities and towns would still “reasonably regulate” height, open space, and parking.

Tristan Navera is a senior reporter on housing policy, covering trends and solutions in the housing market from Washington, DC. He was previously a senior reporter at Bloomberg Law, and before that covered real estate for the Washington Business Journal. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade reporting on business and real estate in Dayton and Columbus, OH. A Cincinnati native, he holds a journalism degree from Ohio University.