Over 550 accessory dwelling units were approved under the Affordable Homes Act during the first six months of 2025, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities reported.

The act, signed in August 2024, permitted ADUs statewide. Approval for these independent residences — often called tiny homes or in-law suites — was previously tricky as they create two dwellings on lots zoned for single-family use.

Many Massachusetts homeowners are taking advantage of the recently relaxed restrictions. Since the beginning of 2025, homeowners in 170 communities across the state filed 844 applications to build ADUs. As of July 2025, over 550 were approved.

Communities with the most ADU applications were Plymouth with 32 and Milton with 25. Worcester, Newton and Fairhaven followed with 24, 19, and 18, respectively.

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is using every available resource to end our housing shortage, and the data is clear: This one change is unlocking more housing while filling a need for many families,” Secretary Ed Augustus said in a press release. “The goal of the Affordable Homes Act was to give renters and homeowners greater choice over where they live and to lower their costs. Streamlining the process for building an ADU will continue to prove essential in solving our housing crisis.”