Final MA Ballot Question Called As Suburbs Push For Rejection

A Massachusetts state ballot initiative aimed at increasing the stock of single-family homes amid a housing crisis in the Bay State went down to defeat despite strong early vote totals that appeared to pave the way for its passage.

Question 7 — which would have allowed the development of single-family housing on any street-facing lot of at least 5,000 square feet with municipal water and sewer — got off to a hot start on election night with more than 56 percent reporting in favor as of 11 p.m.

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But as vote totals came in from suburban Boston and more rural areas of the state, the vote trended sharply in the negative direction for housing proponents. It was nearly tied, with about 90 percent of the vote reported, as of Wednesday morning, before the trend against the measure continued as the final votes were counted.

The Associated Press called the race over the weekend with 1,288,544 votes against and 1,255,691 votes for (50.6 percent to 49.4 percent) at 99 percent of precincts reporting.

Proponents of the question argued that many cities and towns have prohibitive restrictions against new construction and that universal rules are needed to meet housing demand and stabilize costs for first-time and senior homebuyers.

Those against the question argue that it is yet another state mandate that takes control away from municipalities and does little to ensure that housing development is more affordable for those in need.

According to WBUR-FM, cities and towns inside of Route 128 — including Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown and Waltham — strongly favored the measure, and it had good support in Western Mass. towns such as Amherst and Northampton.

But those population centers were not enough to overcome strong opposition on the far North Shore, most of the South Shore and South Coast, and, especially, in MetroWest communities, such as Weston, Wellesley, Dover, Sherborn and Sudbury.

Among the other cities that voted in favor of the measure were Beverly, Salem, Lynn, Lawrence, Worcester, Quincy, Braintree, Provincetown, and Brockton.

Results from the other ballot questions and statewide races can be found in Patch coverage here.