At Deerfield’s Town Meeting on May 11, we face a clear choice: advance our building codes or fall behind.
Fears that the Specialized Energy Code stifles housing are unfounded — the facts prove the opposite:
Specialized Code towns produce 17% more housing units than Stretch code towns and 33% more than Base code towns.
Stretch Code towns (like Deerfield) produce 14% more housing units than Base code towns.
Specialized Code adopters see a median 25% rise in housing units and 15% more permits.
Locally, Amherst and Northampton adopted the Specialized Code in 2024. By September 2025, Amherst residential permits were up 2.54%, commercial permits were up 6.25%; Northampton residential permits were up 2.72%, and commercial permits were up 9.38%.
Even in this economy, Specialized Code adoption boosts — not blocks — building activity.
Updating codes also keeps our workforce competitive and our residents safe. Outdated standards leave workers undertrained, buildings wasteful, and residents facing higher energy bills, and health costs over the 50-100-plus year lifespans of buildings.
The Specialized Energy Code delivers efficient, healthy, resilient homes to their owners.
Vote “yes” on May 11 to adopt the Specialized Energy Code.
Lili Dwight
South Deerfield