Theresa Hatton

This is shaping up to be the year that Massachusetts adopts a wide-ranging set of policies aimed directly at increasing housing production.

For years, Massachusetts has grappled with a housing shortage that has made it increasingly difficult for families to buy a home, employers to attract workers and communities to accommodate growth. The challenge is not the result of a single policy or a single year. It is the product of decades of insufficient housing production and a development process that can be costly, unpredictable and unnecessarily complicated.

Several significant policies are advancing this year that seek to change this reality.

Lawmakers have advanced a collection of practical reforms designed to make it easier to build housing, create greater certainty for housing developers, modernize local permitting and zoning processes, and encourage the reuse of existing buildings and properties.

And voters have the opportunity to approve a ballot question in November that will legalize the construction of smaller, lower-cost homes on small lots

Taken together, these proposals could represent one of the most consequential years for housing production policy in recent memory.

Making It Easier to Build

Both the state House and Senate have embraced different policies that would both remove barriers to housing construction.

The Senate’s economic development legislation – now in conference committee – includes several particularly important reforms. It would allow duplexes by-right wherever single-family homes are permitted outside the city of Boston, establish a uniform statewide site plan review process, encourage the conversion of underutilized commercial buildings into housing and strengthen incentives for Smart Growth zoning districts.

The House has advanced many similar and complementary reforms in its own version of the biannual economic development bill, including statewide standards for site plan review, permit extensions that provide greater certainty for housing developments, and “Yes in God’s Back Yard” provisions that could allow underutilized religious properties to be converted into new homes.

Each of these proposals addresses a different obstacle to housing production. Allowing more housing types by-right gives homeowners and builders greater flexibility. Standardizing site plan review can reduce uncertainty and inconsistent local requirements.

Why Legislative Proposals Are Important

Converting underused commercial properties creates opportunities to add housing without relying exclusively on new construction.

Another proposal would establish training requirements for local planning and zoning board members. These officials make decisions that shape the future of communities across the commonwealth, often while serving as volunteers.

Providing consistent education on land use, zoning and legal requirements can lead to more informed decisions, greater consistency between communities and a stronger partnership between local governments and those working to create the housing Massachusetts needs.

On their own, some of these changes may appear technical. But housing production is often held back by technical barriers: inconsistent permitting processes, uncertainty over approvals, outdated zoning requirements and unnecessary delays.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors urges the Legislature to adopt these housing policies as part of the final version of the 2026 economic development bill. Making the process more predictable can make the difference between a housing project moving forward and never getting built.

Creating More Attainable Homes

The focus on housing production extends beyond Beacon Hill.

A citizen-led ballot initiative, Legalize Starter Homes, would give Massachusetts another opportunity to expand the supply of homes that are more attainable for first-time buyers, young families and seniors looking to downsize.

Question 7, which will be on the general election ballot in November, would make it legal to build new single-family homes on 5,000-square-foot lots wherever public sewer and water are available. By allowing homes to be built on smaller lots, the proposal is intended to facilitate smaller, lower-cost homes rather than requiring buyers to shoulder the cost of large lots. According to the campaign, the policy could generate an estimated 2,200 to 5,700 new homes each year.

Expanding the types and sizes of homes that can be built will give more Massachusetts residents a chance to find a home that fits both their needs and their budget.

A Year of Meaningful Progress

The Affordable Homes Act in 2024 and the MBTA Communities Act in 2022 demonstrated that Massachusetts policymakers are willing to take meaningful action to address the commonwealth’s housing shortage.

The policies under consideration in 2026 could build on that foundation by more directly addressing the practical barriers that stand between housing proposals and actual homes.

There is still work to be done. Massachusetts’ housing challenges were decades in the making, and they will not be solved in a single legislative session; though the direction and action by legislators is encouraging.

In 2026, the focus has been on a simple but important principle: Massachusetts cannot increase the supply of affordable housing without making it easier to build.

Theresa Hatton is CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.