Attorney General Andrea Campbell testifies before the Judiciary Committee at the State House on Nov. 25, 2025. Photo by Ella Adams | State House News Service

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has endorsed Question 7 on this fall’s ballot, dubbed the “Legalize Starter Homes” initiative.

“Massachusetts has a housing crisis, and the cost of housing is the number one affordability challenge facing families across this commonwealth,” Campbell said in a statement Thursday. “Question 7 is a common-sense step toward solving it. By removing the artificial barriers that prevent builders from constructing smaller, more affordable starter homes, we can open the door to homeownership for first-time buyers, young families, and seniors looking to downsize. I am proud to vote Yes on Question 7 and I encourage every Massachusetts voter to do the same.”

Question 7 would make it legal to build a single-family home on a lot as small as 5,000 square feet wherever there is public water and sewer service in Massachusetts and at least 50 feet of street frontage. The question is an attempt to push back on towns and cities that require large lots for new homes as a way to prevent development. A Tufts University analysis found it could optimistically generate between 350 and 1,200 new homes per year.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association, the trade group representing the state’s towns and cities, has criticized Question 7 for removing local control over land-use decisions. The association claims the change will do nothing to make homes more affordable.

“This is something that would have no affordability provisions whatsoever,” MMA Legislative Director Dave Koffman said in a recent episode of the group’s podcast. “And I think that’s the distinction that voters really need to look at. A smaller lot does not automatically mean a more affordable home.”

Campbell joins Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll, who endorsed the ballot question last month.