Governor Healey Launches Statewide Program to Help Homeowners Build Accessory Dwelling Units

Governor Healey Launches Statewide Program to Help Homeowners Build Accessory Dwelling Units 

New program will help homeowners determine whether an ADU is right for their property 

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced the launch of Phase One of a statewide Accessory Dwelling Unit Incentive Program that will help homeowners determine whether building an ADU is right for their property, another step in the administration’s effort to lower housing costs and increase housing production across Massachusetts.   

The Program, administered by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) in collaboration with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) and previously announced by Governor Maura Healey, is designed to help homeowners access professional feasibility studies to better determine if an ADU project is right for them, including understanding site conditions, local permitting requirements, utility needs, preliminary design options and high-level cost estimates before investing significant time and resources in an ADU project. 

"Massachusetts needs to build more homes, and ADUs are one of the fastest ways to create new housing in communities across our state," said Governor Maura Healey. "Our Affordable Homes Act made it easier to build ADUs, and we saw major interest from homeowners. Now we're giving them the tools they need to turn an idea into reality, creating more housing options while helping families stay in the communities they love." 

“As a former mayor, I know communities need guidance and practical support to turn good housing policy into real homes,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These programs give homeowners, builders and local officials better information at the start of a project and help ADUs move through design and permitting with fewer surprises. That means more flexible housing options in every region of the state.” 

“The Affordable Homes Act created a level playing field for ADUs across Massachusetts,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matias. “HLC is now focused on giving people the tools to move forward. Every ADU that gets permitted is one more home for a family, a caregiver, a renter or a neighbor who wants to stay close to community.”  

An ADU is a small residential living space located on the same lot as another home. ADUs can be inside an existing home, such as a converted basement apartment, attached to a primary residence as an addition or completely detached, such as a cottage or converted garage in a backyard. They can provide flexible housing options for families, caregivers, renters and communities. 

MHP has created a directory of professional feasibility study providers to help homeowners across the state understand whether an ADU is feasible on their property and what would be involved if they choose to construct one. Feasibility studies will generally assess site conditions and constraints, local zoning and permitting considerations, utilities, preliminary design considerations and high-level cost and budget feasibility.  

“Homeowners are excited about ADUs, but many do not know where to start,” said Rachel Heller, executive director of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. “A feasibility study gives a family an objective, professional assessment of what is possible on their property, what it may cost and what hurdles need to be addressed before they invest significant time and money. MHP is proud to partner with HLC to help close that gap and make ADUs a realistic option for more households across Massachusetts.”  

Participation in a feasibility study does not obligate the homeowner to build an ADU, nor does it obligate the homeowner to use the chosen feasibility study provider for any additional services. 

MHP will use information from the feasibility studies to guide future phases of the ADU Incentive Program and identify ways to make it easier for homeowners to build ADUs. The findings will help inform future zoning guidance, financing tools, infrastructure investments and technical assistance. 

In addition to the MHP Accessory Dwelling Unit Incentive Program, HLC launched the ADU Design Challenge to develop publicly available, replicable ADU designs that homeowners and communities can use at no cost. Homeowners can also use the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s ADU Resource Center to look up their property, explore where an ADU could be placed on the lot and review other early planning considerations before starting a feasibility study. The administration has committed $10 million over two years to support MHP’s statewide ADU work, and MassHousing has launched a program offering low-cost ADU construction financing to low- and moderate-income homeowners 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has made housing a top priority, starting with the creation of HLC in 2023. Since then, the administration has signed the Affordable Homes Act, the state’s most ambitious housing law in history, advanced the conversion of vacant state-owned land and underused commercial properties into housing, implemented the MBTA Communities Law, created the Momentum Fund, increased housing tax credits and subsidies, expanded homebuyer assistance, established a right to home inspections, banned forced renter-paid broker’s fees and launched the state’s first housing production tracker to track progress toward the state’s goal to build 222,000 homes by 2035.