In November, members joined partners and allies from across Massachusetts to testify at the State House in support of lifting the ban on rent control statewide. 

Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, your home is a place where you should feel safe and secure – it’s the heart of your daily life. But while an elite few blame working people for not earning enough to afford our homes, they have rigged the rules to favor big landlords, real estate, and corporate developers who jack up rents, drive up costs, and price us out of the neighborhoods we call home. 

The bill to lift the ban on rent control would help keep people in our homes at a time when the cost of housing in Massachusetts is higher than it’s ever been – a critical first step in addressing the housing crisis. 

The bill, An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants (S.1299 / H.2103), would allow cities and towns to stabilize rents by limiting rent increases to the rate of inflation, not exceeding 5% annually. 

The bill would also protect tenants by banning no-fault evictions and provide reasonable exceptions for owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units. New construction would also be exempt for the first five years. 

Neighbor to Neighbor members from Springfield, Holyoke and Lynn submitted both oral and written testimony in support of this critical bill.