SPOA's Legislative Victories: Thanks to You!
Dear SPOA Members and Supporters:
It feels like we have been on a roller coaster together for the past two years! Thank you for riding with us.
Never before have small property owners faced so many threats coming out of Beacon Hill.
From defeating rent control to fighting onerous mandates that would have made it impossible to run our businesses, SPOA has been front and center through all the ups and downs this legislative session, working hard, testifying on Beacon Hill, and playing a critical role advocating for you.
First, we must say thanks to you and others who stepped up to support us; we are happy to report that the 193rd session of the Massachusetts Legislature was one of our most successful ever!!!!! Your phone calls, emails, and face to face meetings with your elected representatives made a difference.
The dust is still settling, but here are some highlights:
We played a leading role advocating against rent control. That’s how SPOA successfully defeated rent control in 1994, and that will always be our first priority.
We helped defeat a mandatory “right of first refusal” law, otherwise known as TOPA (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act), that would have interfered with your right to buy and sell rental property. Although it passed the House, it died in Conference Committee.
We put the brakes on a bill that was sailing through the House that would have made it practically illegal to use credit reports to screen prospective tenants without property owners facing 93A laws as a result.
We joined a coalition of real estate groups to kill “transfer taxes” on residential and commercial real estate sales. Everyone predicted at the start of the session that a new sales tax on property was a sure thing.
At the end of the session, we were on red alert, pushing back on Mayor Wu's proposed tax hike on commercial properties. Her circumvention of proposition 2½ fortuitously died in the Senate.
We were able to defeat a Senate initiative that would have forced owners to pay broker fees.
We went to the state house and testified in support of a new law that will create more accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which will give our members the opportunity to provide more affordable housing options to those who need it most -- all without government intervention.
Although we are not happy about any type of record sealing, the legislature also passed a more moderate version of eviction sealing that was negotiated with the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB). Although this bill is not perfect, it is more reasonable than the initial version that would have had dire consequences for property owners and tenants, while hindering the ability to use the tools needed to screen tenants.
We will provide more details in the upcoming SPOA newsletter, which will be released soon.
It is important to remember our testimony at the state house on January 18, 2024, when we swam in hostile waters opposing the proposed transfer tax, while calling for property owners to be included at the table to increase the supply of housing. This shows that determination, backed by logic, can change minds!
While there is much to celebrate, we can't stress enough the importance of your involvement and the need to donate to SPOA. We also need all of you to help SPOA recruit more members, in order to strengthen our voice further.
We were successful this session because we were in the thick of the fight. Our experienced lobbying team were on the ground helping us and our members attend countless meetings and hearings – talking to our legislators and making our voices heard.
It is critical that this session be the start of a stronger movement!
Despite our success this legislative session, we know that the other side will re-emerge to push even harder for the same anti-business policy proposals that will harm the preservation of existing housing, and its stakeholders, in Massachusetts. So we need to be prepared.
Please encourage other owners, as well as like-minded people who seek a fair and level playing field in housing, to join us and to donate now.
Once again, on behalf of everyone at SPOA, thank you for helping us achieve these positive results during this legislative session!
Sincerely,
Small Property Owners Association (SPOA)
