Utile’s research on legalizing mid-rise single-stair housing in Massachusetts is getting national attention. A recent article in Public Square: A CNU Journal covered “Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in Massachusetts,” a report authored by Utile in collaboration with Boston Indicators and Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The report makes the case for allowing single-stair buildings up to six stories and 24 units, well beyond the three stories and 12 units currently permitted under Massachusetts building code.
The CNU article highlights several of the report’s core findings, most notably that a majority of the nations in the world permits mid-rise single-stair buildings without any corresponding rise in fire deaths and that many countries with lower fire risk than the US allow single-stair buildings taller than three stories. As the Public Square piece notes, the Boston Globe editorial board cited the report’s finding that an additional 130,000 new homes could be built across Greater Boston alone if single-stair construction were legalized in four- to six-story buildings. The report’s own analysis backs this up, pointing to a “missing middle” in Greater Boston’s housing stock, where relatively few buildings get built in the 9-to-30-unit range, a pattern tied to the two-means-of-egress requirement that kicks in above 12 units or three stories.
Since its initial publication in late 2024, the report has received recognition and has helped drive real policy momentum. At the time of this writing, there are two bills before the Massachusetts House and Senate to study the issue further, along with a formal proposal in front of the state building code review board.
Read the full CNU coverage here and dive into the original report on Utile’s research page.
