It may have not made it on to the 2024 ballot — but rent control is still top of mind for many in the greater Boston area.
To get around the ballot measure, the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, approved a rent control measure overnight, but the effort is not set in stone yet.
Town meeting members voted 112-107 in favor of rent control, with 13 members abstaining.
This proposal would limit rent hikes to an annual increase of 3%, plus the inflation rate capped at a total of 7%. There are some exemptions, such as new construction, nonprofit or university-owned housing and owner-occupied properties with four units or less.
Opponents argued it will discourage new construction or could be a catalyst to landlords raising rents now, in anticipation of rent control.
"Rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city except for bombing. There is wide consensus among economists across the political spectrum that rent control does not work," said Ariel Sofer from Precinct 2.
“Not all landlords are rich, evil, grasping individuals. There is a certain unfairness to the imposition of the cost on just the landlord community," Precinct 12 town meeting member Harry Friedman added.
Those in favor of this proposal said it's desperately needed to remedy the inadequate supply of affordable rental housing in Brookline.
"Our proposal is reasonable, compromised measures that will improve affordability for residents without breaking the bank," said Kimberly Richardson from Precinct 2.
“I’m sympathetic to rent control. I think there’s numerous numbers of different policies you can take to improve affordable housing, that’s really the goal, including building more housing, maybe longer leases,” said Paul Hanna of Brookline.
Interestingly, this vote comes nearly three decades after voters did away with rent control here in Brookline and elsewhere in the state.
A life-long resident and landlord named Fran said, “I couldn’t raise the rent if my expenses went up, you weren’t able to raise the rent, it was just blocked.”
Landlords like Fran who lived through that say they wouldn’t be able to afford it again with the cost of utilities, property taxes and everything continuing to rise.
“Prices here are exorbitant, taxes are exorbitant, and it’s like Big Brother watching everything that you’re doing,” said Fran, “My income is my tenants.”
This is a home rule petition — meaning it needs to be approved by the state Legislature before it could be implemented.
Just last week, the push to put rent control on the statewide ballot failed. And recently, Brookline's selectboard voted against rent control 4-1.
