Massachusetts comprehensive housing plan

ritchiew said:
It appears this was actually enacted 2023. Did something new happen with this?

It's incentives for towns to voluntarily change their zoning to allow smaller homes. Has any town actually taken up the offer?
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Only in Boston has been clickbait or rage-bait content for some time now. They're not much of a news "outlet" anymore, and post whatever they think will get people to react to their posts on slow news days.
 
-This could turn out nice if theres follow through. Have a few pre-approved designs that can be fast tracked. Kind of like the triple decker, it is what it is no feed for 100 design reviews for each one. I read that toronto was doing something similar but instead of adu’s it was for houses. Good concept imo.

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge​

BLDUPMay 04, 20268 min read
Attachment-A_FabricatedModuleLocalDwelling-ANewEnglandADU_1stPlace.png

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge​

“Governor Maura Healey has announced the winners of the Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge, a statewide competition designed to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. across Massachusetts.
The administration is awarding eight winning submissions from architects, builders, designers, contractors and design-build teams across Massachusetts. Launched in December 2025, the challenge received more than 100 submissions from designers representing nearly 50 municipalities across the state.”

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge
www.bldup.com www.bldup.com
 
Too much time and political will has been spent on ADUs. Nobody wants to live in a shack in someone’s backyard. Build homes for families.
 
The state could knock down the State Services Building tomorrow and could sell off the land and house more people than all the ADUs across the state.
 
Jeremi said:
Too much time and political will has been spent on ADUs. Nobody wants to live in a shack in someone’s backyard. Build homes for families.
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A ton of single people who are currently living in 3/4 Bedroom units with roommates would definitely live in a little studio ADU if it's affordable. Then the larger units which are currently taken up would be more available to families. Now the amount of ADUs that will be built across the state is still in question but it's not a bad idea at all, a good tool alongside a big kit of increasing housing options.
 
Yea its one of many different options we need. I think youre prob right tho enough time has prob been spent on it for how little results these really bring. I think this is a good last step to have some pre approved options people can choose from then now the state can move on to the next issue.
 
Jeremi said:
“Hey baby come on back to my place. I live in a shed in someone’s backyard.”
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You're way out of touch with the reality that most young people are experiencing. This isn't the 60's where most white guys could get a single family home and provide for a family on an average income. Most young people I know (even those with established careers) either split costs with a partner, live with parents/roommates, or move to a different state (which isn't even all that possible because of what that costs and risks). The people I know who live alone are able to because they make really good money, and even then they live in tiny studios or 1br. My evidence is anecdotal sure, but let's not pretend like an ADU is a bad option compared to what is possible and available to most people today.
 
samsongam said:
You're way out of touch with the reality that most young people are experiencing. This isn't the 60's where most white guys could get a single family home and provide for a family on an average income. Most young people I know (even those with established careers) either split costs with a partner, live with parents/roommates, or move to a different state (which isn't even all that possible because of what that costs and risks). The people I know who live alone are able to because they make really good money, and even then they live in tiny studios or 1br. My evidence is anecdotal sure, but let's not pretend like an ADU is a bad option compared to what is possible and available to most people today.
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Nobody is saying anything about SFHs. A backyard shed is not a poor option for anyone looking for dignified housing.
 
stick n move said:
-This could turn out nice if theres follow through. Have a few pre-approved designs that can be fast tracked. Kind of like the triple decker, it is what it is no feed for 100 design reviews for each one. I read that toronto was doing something similar but instead of adu’s it was for houses. Good concept imo.

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge​

BLDUPMay 04, 20268 min read
Attachment-A_FabricatedModuleLocalDwelling-ANewEnglandADU_1stPlace.png

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge​

“Governor Maura Healey has announced the winners of the Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge, a statewide competition designed to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. across Massachusetts.
The administration is awarding eight winning submissions from architects, builders, designers, contractors and design-build teams across Massachusetts. Launched in December 2025, the challenge received more than 100 submissions from designers representing nearly 50 municipalities across the state.”

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge

Governor Healey Announces Winners of Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge
www.bldup.com www.bldup.com
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This report looks at how many ADUs have been built and some barriers that need to get fixed for more to get approved.

 
This represents the clearest picture of home production progress Massachusetts has seen in decades as the state continues to grapple with a housing affordability crisis. According to the tracker, which the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities launched on Thursday, Massachusetts added 34,561 homes in 2025 – representing around 15.6% of the state’s 222,000 goal.
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www.wwlp.com

New tracker shows progress toward housing production goal

A new statewide housing production tracker shows Massachusetts is about 15.6% of the way to reaching its goal of adding 222,000 housing units between 2025 and 2035.
www.wwlp.com
 
samsongam said:
A ton of single people who are currently living in 3/4 Bedroom units with roommates would definitely live in a little studio ADU if it's affordable.
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Are ADUs being marketed or listed as studio apartments? This is the first time I’ve heard this take.

ball_square said:
Look, I'd much rather go back to someone's ADU than to their parents' house.
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Don’t worry, it’s their parent’s backyard. Best of both worlds!!
 
stick n move said:
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Just practically, I wonder if anyone has studied how much housing this is likely to produce? I doubt it'll help much. I'd guess churches mostly use the land they own, and most are probably focused on things other than building housing. Some will want to build, and every bit of new housing helps, but I am skeptical.

And more generally, it suuuuper fucked that we're limiting a right everyone should have (roughly, "build what you want on land you own") and giving it selectively to religious institutions. Hand a scarce resource to religious institutions? Put the churches in charge of housing? This sounds like part of a medieval power struggle and not how government should work in a free society in the 21st century, holy shit.
 
Yea they were talking about it like its some huge change, but I also think it would be pretty small. Maybe the fact that churches are tax exempt will allow them to build cheaper/affordable housing, but still the amount of lots that can is probably not very much. Either way its something though, maybe across the entire state itll add up to a decent amount, but idk.
 
ritchiew said:
Hand a scarce resource to religious institutions? Put the churches in charge of housing? This sounds like part of a medieval power struggle and not how government should work in a free society in the 21st century, holy shit.
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Well said
 
stick n move said:
Yea they were talking about it like its some huge change, but I also think it would be pretty small. Maybe the fact that churches are tax exempt will allow them to build cheaper/affordable housing, but still the amount of lots that can is probably not very much. Either way its something though, maybe across the entire state itll add up to a decent amount, but idk.
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Looking into it a bit, production estimates are all over the place. CommonWealth Beacon sites a study putting the estimate between 60,000 and 500,000, while CHAPA says
... if faith-based organizations in Massachusetts efficiently developed a quarter of the vacant land they own for housing, that land could support over 250,000 new homes ...
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Whatever the true number is, advocacy groups site a number of churches/synagogues/other religious organizations trying to develop affordable housing and not being able to due to local zoning. In one case, a Natick church has been trying for 40(!) years to build a small apartment complex and the city keeps blocking them. It's not hard to imagine similar situations playing out in places like Wellesley, Needham, or Newton that also have good-to-great transit access. While I agree that this level of autonomy should be given to most landowners, religious groups (especially those with shrinking congregations) are particularly well-suited for redevelopment and are a reasonable starting place. And a note, housing built by churches is not tax-exempt and cannot be restricted to certain faith groups.
 
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