Massachusetts voters narrowly rejected Question 7, leaving local minimum lot-size requirements unchanged after a close contest over how to encourage more single-family housing.
Patch’s latest reported tally showed 1,288,544 votes against and 1,255,691 in favor, or 50.6% to 49.4%, with 99% of precincts reporting. The unofficial margin was 32,853 votes.
WBUR’s Nov. 6 coverage confirms the Associated Press called the race that Friday afternoon, three days after Election Day.
What the measure would have changed
The state’s official ballot explanation describes a proposal to permit single-family homes on residentially zoned lots containing at least 5,000 square feet, with at least 50 feet of street frontage and access to public water and sewer.
Those provisions would have overridden larger local minimum lot requirements for qualifying properties. Municipalities could still have imposed reasonable rules governing building height, setbacks, parking, open space and short-term rentals.
Boston would have been exempt because it operates under a separate zoning law.
The official explanation states that a “no” vote leaves existing law unchanged. The result therefore creates no new entitlement to build on smaller lots.
Housing needs remain
The Healey administration’s statewide housing plan, released in February 2025, estimates Massachusetts needs at least 222,000 additional year-round homes between 2025 and 2035 to meet demand and help control costs.
Question 7’s defeat leaves that housing challenge unresolved. For property owners in Brookline, existing zoning requirements continue to govern whether a lot can accommodate a new home.
