Why Massachusetts is revisiting single-stair fire safety rules now
Iain Hoey
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Healey-Driscoll administration launches advisory group on single-stair fire safety rules
A new Massachusetts executive order will study allowing single-stair construction in some residential buildings above three storeys.
Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll announced the order on 13 February 2026.
The announcement described the current Massachusetts building code requirement for two exit stairs in buildings above three storeys or with long interior corridors.
The release said this requirement can make it harder to build mid-rise development on smaller parcels.
Driscoll said: “Building new housing that prioritizes affordability, enhancing the livability of our communities and keeping people safe couldn’t be more important as we respond to our housing shortage.”
“Our administration is spurring all kinds of housing production to meets the range of needs facing Massachusetts residents, so I’m eager for the advisory group to get started and study the feasibility of single stair construction while considering all possible safety risks.”
Advisory group remit and building code updates
The announcement said the Governor is establishing a technical advisory group to develop a process for evaluating whether, and under what conditions, single-stair multifamily residential buildings above three storeys can be safely permitted in Massachusetts.
The release said the group will include fire services, building officials, national architectural experts, accessibility advocates and public-safety professionals.
Its charge includes comparing single-stair and multi-stair buildings, identifying required fire and life safety precautions and recommending targeted updates to the State Building Code.
Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus said: “Every safe, evidence-based strategy to build more homes is needed to meet the housing demands we’re facing, and single-stair multifamily residential buildings could offer us a new way to increase our housing supply.”
“This executive order will bring together the right people – from fire safety officials to architects, accessibility experts and more – who will help us explore the possibilities and find the best path forward.”
Existing practice examples and land capacity estimates
The announcement said Massachusetts would be following an approach used in numerous U.S. states and in other countries if it adopts a single-stair standard for residential buildings above three storeys.
It gave examples including New York City and Seattle permitting single-stair buildings up to six storeys for decades and Honolulu legalising them in 2012.
It also said Tennessee, Montana and Connecticut have enacted legislation allowing single-stair buildings up to six storeys under specified safety conditions.
The release cited Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies identifying 4,955 underutilised parcels within ¾ mile of rapid transit that could host a mid-rise building.
It said the Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates these sites could produce up to 130,000 new housing units through urban infill alone if single stair is allowed up to six storeys and 24 units.
John Nunnari, Executive Director, AIA Massachusetts, said: “This is a thoughtful, evidence-driven step that brings together architects, fire-safety professionals and public officials to carefully evaluate how housing production, affordability and life-safety can be advanced together.”
“We look forward to contributing our expertise to a transparent, data-informed process that prioritizes both safe building design and the creation of much-needed housing across the Commonwealth.”
The release said the advisory group will study feasibility and safety risks as part of the executive order’s process.