The push for a rent control ballot question is on
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A coalition of housing advocates will file ballot initiative language on Wednesday that would cap annual rent increases across Massachusetts.
Why it matters: Massachusetts eliminated municipal limits on rent increases through a 1994 ballot question.
- Advocates hope the return and expansion of rent control could make it easier for lower- and middle-income residents to make ends meet in one of the country's most expensive housing markets.
Zoom in: Under the proposal, rents could only be raised by 5%, or by a set cost-of-living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower.
Driving the news: The group behind the ballot push, Homes for All Massachusetts, wants to get 75,000 voter signatures this fall, the first step to securing a place on the 2026 ballot.
- The language carves out exemptions for owner-occupied buildings with fewer than five units and for buildings less than a decade old.
- Only Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville had rent control rules in place when voters banned the practice.
Between the lines: Beacon Hill Democrats have stifled recent attempts to bring rent control back to the Bay State.
- Capping rent increases has been a goal of progressive politicians like Mayor Michelle Wu, and polls have found the idea to be a popular one.
The other side: Rent control opponents fear government control over housing prices could lead to less investment in new construction and less upkeep of existing buildings.