This past Tuesday, July 29, Neighbor to Neighbor members traveled to the State House to raise their voices in support of rent stabilization across the Commonwealth. We were proud to join a growing coalition of community members, organizers, renters, and allies who know that housing justice is essential to building a more equitable Massachusetts.
Our communities are being pushed out of neighborhoods and are being priced out of homes. This looks like families being separated from their neighbors and uprooted from the lives they’ve built. This rent control hearing was an opportunity to say: enough is enough.
Our members shared powerful personal testimony, speaking to the real impact of rising rents, eviction threats, and the emotional toll of housing insecurity. They spoke as tenants, parents, students, workers, and community leaders, each with a story that reflected the growing urgency of this crisis. They also spoke with incredible discipline, clarity, and pride, making their voices heard within the time limit, while representing N2N with passion and purpose.
These stories weren’t isolated experiences; they reflect a broader pattern of displacement happening across the state. From Worcester to Lynn, Springfield to Holyoke, our members painted a picture of what it looks like to fight to stay in the communities they love. And what it feels like to see friends and neighbors pushed out simply because landlords raise the rent beyond what any working person can afford.
As housing costs skyrocket and wages fail to keep pace, families are being forced into impossible choices about their families, their job opportunities, and their education. These are choices no one should have to make.
Rent control is one part of the solution. It would give cities and towns the local power to stabilize rent increases and protect tenants from corporate greed and sudden displacement. That’s why we showed up and why we’ll continue to show up until our state leaders pass meaningful housing policy that puts people before profit.
We know that real change comes from the ground up. And on Tuesday, it was clear that the ground is moving. Our members showed what people power looks like. Power that is rooted in lived experience, grounded in community, and ready to fight for a future where everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.
Join us in the fight for rent control. Submit Testimony to: jointcommittee.municipalities®ionalgovernment@malegislature.gov
Or physically mail the committee at:
Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, House Chair
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
Massachusetts State House
Attn: Geoff Richelew
24 Beacon Street, Room 450
Boston, MA 02133
Neighbor to Neighbor stands in unwavering solidarity with every tenant, every advocate, and every legislator who believes in building an affordable Massachusetts.