An Act Expanding Housing Supply for the Missing Middle in Massachusetts
Severe housing shortages have pushed Massachusetts prices to record highs, displacing middle-income families. Traditional zoning restricts developments to single-family homes, making naturally dense, community-compatible "missing middle" housing (duplexes, triplexes, courtyard apartments, and cottage clusters) illegal to build in most neighborhoods.
This bill requires municipalities to permit missing middle housing as-of-right on at least 3% of developable land (or 100 acres) with density baselines: 10 units/acre minimum, 2,000 sq ft lot minimums, and parking capped at 1 space/unit. It also creates a Missing Middle Housing Gap Fund, funded by a 1% transfer tax on home sales over $1 million, providing up to $80,000/unit to support middle-income workforce housing.