Massachusetts Voters Reject Question 7: Single-Family Homes on Smaller Lots Bylaw Fails Narrowly
Massachusetts voters rejected Question 7 by a slim margin, blocking single-family homes on 5,000 sq ft lots. The AP projects the measure failed Friday.
POLICY WIRE — Boston, Massachusetts — Massachusetts residents effectively blocked a state housing measure designed to relax local zoning rules, with voters rejecting the proposal by a narrow margin on Friday.
The controversial ballot initiative, known as Question 7, would have overridden municipal control to permit the construction of single-family homes on lots as small as 5,000 square feet.
According to unofficial results released Friday, just over 50 percent of voters cast their ballots against the measure, signaling a defeat for the housing expansion plan.
The Associated Press projected that the question failed, ending the effort to streamline rules for residential development on smaller plots across the state.
While eight other ballot questions saw definitive outcomes, this specific housing measure remained a contentious toss-up until the final counts were tallied.
The rejection highlights the continued resistance to changing rigid local standards that restrict the density of single-family residential construction.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)