A few weeks ago Ward 5 Councillor Lydia King introduced a resolution that urges the State House to pass rent control legislation and to "take action to advance policies that protect tenants, prevent displacement, and strengthen communities in the Commonwealth." For the full text of the resolution, see page 10 of the agenda for the June 25th meeting.
This resolution will be voted on Thursday and needs your support.
Actions to take ASAP
- Email Salem City Council (citycouncilors@salem.com) ASAP in support of this resolution. See sample letters below.
- Sign up to speak before 6:30 pm. For suggested talking points and additional guidance on giving public comment, see Solidarity Rising's latest newsletter.
Sample Letter from Isa
Dear City Councilors,
A few weeks ago I wrote to you outlining the reasons why Salem urgently needs rent control. I’m not going to re-hash these previous arguments, though I stand by them.
Instead I want to address the concern that wading into state policy matters is an inappropriate use of city council resolutions. In a recent newsletter, Councilor Hapworth wrote, "The state Legislature develops state housing policy. The Salem City Council governs Salem. Those roles shouldn’t be confused."
The thing is though prior to 1994 Salem City Council did have the power to enact rent control measures. This power was stripped from municipal leaders like yourselves thanks to a ballot initiative that voters narrowly supported. (It’s worth noting that the majority of Salem voters had opposed this ballot measure.)
Since then, rents have skyrocketed and Massachusetts is one of the least affordable states in the country. Yet city leaders have been unable to stabilize rents in their communities.
In 2023, Boston's Mayor Wu proposed a rent stabilization measure that passed the City Council approval by a 11-2 vote. Unfortunately, it could not be enacted because the State House failed to approve it.
Please take a moment and let that sink in. Boston City Council overwhelmingly voted to enact a rent stabilization measure. But state legislators wouldn’t allow them to do so.
In light of the unprecedented crisis facing the country, our leaders must take steps to strengthen our democracy. Even if you do not support rent control, it should upset you that the State House blocked Boston City Council from enacting a rent stabilization measure it overwhelmingly supports.
It should also upset you that a ballot measure that had overwhelming support was disqualified due to a legal technicality.
A large coalition of unions, faith-based organizations, BIPOC-led grassroots organizations, and housing justice activists rallied hard to get this measure on this November’s ballot. Last fall and this spring volunteers collected signatures supporting the measure, far exceeding the number required by the state. Here on the North Shore, proponents of the ballot initiative collected over 17,000 signatures as part of this effort.
Had this measure remained on the ballot, it would have easily passed. A recent poll had found 69% of those surveyed planned to vote for the measure. But now Massachusetts residents won’t have the chance to vote for this measure because the Supreme Judicial Court disqualified it over a minor technicality.
Renters who are struggling to make ends meet now must hope that the State House passes H.2328/S.1447 before the end of the month. Passing Councilor King's Rent Control resolution will apply pressure on state legislators to get this job done.
Many of your constituents who are struggling feel powerless right now. Passing this resolution will let us know you hear us and have our backs. Thank you for your consideration.
Isa's First Letter to City Council
When my partner and I first moved to Salem in our 20s, we struggled to afford our rent. We loved living here, but it was quite challenging for us to afford to do so. I am now a home owner, but I deeply support rent control.
I am writing in support of Councilor King’s resolution, "To Urge Support For Rent Stabilization To Protect Tenants And Preserve Our Community.” I hope that you pass this resolution, but I also ask that you not stop there. Please also leverage your public platforms in support of the swift passage of (H.2328/S.1447).
As you no doubt have already heard, thanks to Tuesday’s Supreme Judicial Court decision the rent control question will not appear on the November ballot. This means that only viable path to legalize rent control in Massachusetts runs through Beacon Hill. In order for this legislation to pass, the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government must decide favorably on S.1447 by June 30th.
As Salem residents, we are fortunate that Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Manny Cruz have already co-sponsored this proposed rent control legislation. But there are more actions they can take to advocate for this bill’s passage before the legislative season ends on July 30th.
Please contact Senator Lovely and Representative Cruz and ask them to reach out to the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government as well as House and Senate leaders in support of swiftly passing this legislation. Please also consider asking your constituents to contact Senator Lovely and Representative Cruz with these same requests.
Passing Councilor King’s resolution tonight is the minimum you can do to help your constituents and neighbors who are struggling to remain in their homes.
Massachusetts is one of the least affordable states in the country, especially for renters. Here in Salem renters spend on average 39 percent of their income on housing, which is higher than the state average of 35 percent.
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. Last year the MassINC Policy Center reported that 51 percent of Salem renters are cost-burdened. 30 percent of renters are severely cost-burdened.
Rent control also is essential for achieving racial and queer equity. According to the 2025 Greater Boston Housing Report Card, Black and Latino/Hispanic renters are cost-burdened at significantly higher levels than white renters. LGBTQ+ adults in Massachusetts are more likely to rent than own their homes, compared to straight cisgender adults. In 2023, Massachusetts Department of Public Health conducted a Community Health Equity Survey that found over 1 in 5 adults who identify as transgender worried about losing their current housing, almost 3 times the rate of cisgender adults.
Passing Councilor’s King’s resolution will send a clear signal to Beacon Hill in support of proposed rent control legislation. But I urge you to also do everything you can to advocate for the swift passage of this critical legislation. Thank you for your consideration.
Sample letter from Jeremy Mele
I am writing the Council to express my support for the "Resolution: To Urge Support for Rent Stabilization to Protect Tenants and Preserve Our Community." I was a renter in Salem for years before my wife and I purchased our condo. During that time, we felt the squeeze of the cost of rent drain our pocketbooks. For many years, we lived paycheck to paycheck because a significant portion of our income was going to housing. Even then, we still needed a roommate, especially with the specter of a potentially annual rent increase of unknown size hanging over our heads.
Housing is a human right, but we don't treat it like that in this country; we treat it like a commodity, lock it behind private paywalls, and allow landlords to dictate the terms and rates. Such landlords would reply that they are simply following market logic, and, in that, they are mostly correct. The market prioritizes the bottom line above all else. When landlords hold the necessity of life that is housing in their hands, though, they have an inordinate amount of power to demand outrageous rents and they often do so. They know that, unlike commodities like electronics, where buyers can simply reject a price that is too steep, renters cannot go without housing and are compelled to pay rents that they would otherwise choose not to.
This is why the Resolution is so important. The legislation it urges Beacon Hill to pass provides cities and towns the option (and it is important to note that it is only an option) to stabilize rents and keep increases from going past the increases to the cost of living. Most working families, including those who call Salem home, do not get a yearly cost of living increase, so I see no reason why landlords should balk at "only" being able to keep rents indexed to inflation. Surely, if the rent was a fair price to begin with, then it modestly increasing along with inflation should be fair too. The Massachusetts Minimum Wage has not increased in three years. Meanwhile the cost of food, gasoline, and other goods have skyrocketed. Why should landlords expect huge annual increases when workers have to make do with less and less?
I was incredibly disappointed that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck down the petition to get rent stabilization onto the ballot. Nevertheless, the legislature can and must act to get rent prices stabilized and keep them affordable for working families. As representatives of the City of Salem, I implore you to stand up for our working families and renters and to call upon Beacon Hill to pass rent stabilization. I would particularly ask our At-Large Councilors and my Ward Councilor Jason Sydoriak to please consider what I have said. As your constituent, it is important to me that families across the state have protections from landlords who would bankrupt and, eventually, evict them. Everyone deserves a roof over their head, and the only way to make that possible is by giving our communities the ability to say no to private greed. Thank you for your time.
Sample Letter #2
I’m a homeowner in Salem who is writing to ask you to support the resolution to urge support for rent stabilization this Thursday.
As we all know, housing is one of the biggest concerns in Salem. A big piece of why my partner and I chose to buy a home was for the stability and security that we were able to achieve with it, a stability and security we never felt as renters. We were so fortunate to have the ability to purchase somewhere, but that shouldn’t be the only way for people to feel confident that they can stay in their homes. The community I live in is better when more people know that they will not be immediately priced out of the place they are living.
I remember living in an apartment in Jamaica plain and feeling literal panic when our landlord upgraded our wiring so that we would no longer have to run cords outside of our house, because it felt like a clear sign that the rent was about to increase beyond anything we could afford. I look back on that moment as such a terrible sign. Rather than being grateful that we were able to be safer in our home, all I could think about was being priced out of the place I had loved and lived in for the last five years. I don’t want my neighbors to have those fears.
The Massachusetts SJC's decision to invalidate the rent controlled ballot measure on a technicality was really disappointing and frustrating, and makes it all the more essential to me that my elected officials take the necessary steps to keep our communities stable and accessible. In Salem, we deserve a local option to make rent stabilization choices for our own city, rather than being beholden to state level decision-making that I don’t trust to care about my neighborhood. I hope that you, as my local leaders who love Salem, take this step to make our city keep working for those of us who live here. Thank you so much for supporting this resolution.
