Massachusetts is one of the least affordable states in the country, especially for renters. Here in Essex County renters spend on average 38% of their income on housing. That percentage is considerably higher in Lynnfield, where the renters spend a whopping 74% of the their income on housing. (That percentage is so obscenely high that I initially thought it was a typo.) Other local towns with comparatively high rents: Hamilton (48%), and Essex (47%) and Lynn (43%) and Salem (40%).
To put these percentages in context: households that spend over 30% of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Households that spend over 50% of their income on housing costs are severely cost-burdened. Needless to say, renters in Essex County and throughout the Bay State are struggling to stay in their homes due to sky high rents.
Rent stabilization is urgently needed to address this housing affordability crisis. Today, the Joint Committee on Housing held a hearing to review proposed rent stabilization legislation (H.2328/S.1447).
What Does This Legislation Do?
In 1994, Massachusetts voters narrowly outlawed rent control via a ballot initiative. Since then, rents across the state have skyrocketed and municipalities haven't been able to do anything about it without approval from the State House. In 2023, Boston's Mayor Wu proposed a rent stabilization measure that passed the City Council approval by a 11-2 vote. Unfortunately, it got shot down by the State House.
The proposed legislation (H.2328/S.1447) would lift the state ban on rent stabilization. It wouldn't automatically enact rent control measures across the state though. Each municipality would need to decide whether to adopt the measures outlined in the legislation.
Towns that enact these measures would limit rent increases to the cost of living or 5%, whichever is lower. For an apartment that costs $2,000 per month, there would be an annual rent increase no greater than $100/month.
Landlords would also be prohibited from evicting tenants without cause. Exemptions are provided for new construction and small landlords. For additional details, check out this fact sheet created by the Homes for All Massachusetts Coalition.
Submit Testimony
If you missed today's hearing, you can still submit written testimony in support of these bills. There are two ways to do this:
- Email your testimony to: Meg Ribera (meg.ribera@masenate.gov) or Luke O'Roark (luke.oroark@mahouse.gov)
- Send a physical letter to: Chair Richard Haggerty, Joint Committee on Housing, Attn: Luke O’Roark, 24 Beacon Street, Room 146, Boston, MA 02133.
Testimony must be received by no later than December 3rd.
For help drafting your testimony, check out the testimony submitted to the Joint Committee on Housing by Jonathan Cohn, Policy Director of Progressive Massachusetts. In addition, Cohn and his team have created this policy toolkit with a sample letter to the editor that you can draw upon.
Learn Where Our Legislators Stand
Below is a table that depicts which local state legislators have co-sponsored the proposed rent stabilization legislation. If a legislator has supported the bill, ✅ appears next to their name. If they have yet to co-sponsor the bill,❓appears instead.
| Rent Stabilization Bill | |
|---|---|
| H.2328 / S.1447 | |
| Sen. Joan Lovely | ✅ |
| Sen. Brendan Crighton | ❓ |
| Rep. Jennifer Armini | ❓ |
| Rep. Hannah Bowen | ✅ |
| Rep. Dan Cahill | ❓ |
| Rep. Manny Cruz | ✅ |
| Rep. Sally Kerans | ❓ |
| Rep. Sean Reid | ✅ |
| Rep. Tom Walsh | ❓ |
| Rep. Donald Wong | ❓ |
Contact Your Legislators Today
If your legislators have co-sponsored this legislation, thank them for doing so. You can be sure they are getting emails in opposition to this bill. Let your legislators know you have their backs when they stand up for renters.
If your legislators have not yet co-sponsored this legislation, ask them to do so. Here is a sample script provided by Progressive Massachusetts:
I urge you co-sponsor an Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants. (H.2328/S.1447). Massachusetts is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. Our friends and neighbors, especially younger folks, are fleeing our state for cheaper locations. Cities and towns are limited in how they can choose to respond to this crisis. This bill provides a reasonable tool for my city/town to respond to this crisis. The safety and future of our state requires affordable housing for all. This bill is a single, significant step in giving local authorities the ability to respond to this crisis and work towards a permanent solution. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Tip: Look up your legislators using the Progressive Massachusetts Legislative Scorecard. For each state legislator, the site tracks whether whether they have co-sponsored key progressive bills, including this rent stabilization bill.
But What About the Ballot Initiative?
Last month, we reported on the campaign to get a rent stabilization ballot initiative on next year's ballot. Like the proposed legislation, this ballot initiative would limit rent increases to the cost of living or 5%, whichever is lower.
But, there is one big difference. If passed, the ballot initiative would codify rent stabilization across the state. The proposed legislation, on the other hand, leaves the enactment of rent stabilization up to individual municipalities. Some rent control proponents like Boston Mayor Wu oppose the proposed ballot initiative for this reason. However in recent weeks, several unions have backed the ballot initiative, including SEIU Massachusetts State Council, UFCW Local 1445, UAW Region 9A, and both the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Boston Teachers Union.
Next Steps for the Ballot Initiative
If you supported this ballot initiative, there's reason to celebrate. Local news is reporting today that the rent stabilization ballot initiative has attracted more than 124,000 signatures, which far exceeds the requirement of 74,574 signatures. We still need to await the official certification by the Secretary of State's Election Division.
Assuming no major issues are found with the collected supporting signatures, the ballot initiative will be sent to the state legislature in January for consideration. Lawmakers can then pass the measure, propose alternative legislation, or do nothing. If the measure isn't passed by early May, supporters must collect and certify 12,429 additional signatures by early July in order to get the measure on the 2026 ballot. For additional details, see here and here.
And even if the rent stabilization measure does appear on the 2026 ballot, voters are not guaranteed to pass it.
Further Reading
Chris Lisinski, Jennifer Smith
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