Legislative Update from Preti Strategies

As the Massachusetts Legislature wraps up its 2021-2022 session at the end of December, it’s worth noting that the most harmful proposals SPOA opposed, such as rent control, TOPA, and eviction record suppression have been put aside until next year.  However, there is no doubt they and many other problematic bills will be re-filed next session.

While we won’t know until February 2023 (most likely) if the Housing Committee co-chairs will remain the same, we do know that the ‘big four,’ (the House Speaker, Senate President and chairs of House and Senate Ways and Means) will all stay in place. While leadership has been much more receptive to SPOA’s arguments than in the past, this new session comes with some new dangers.

First and foremost is the renewed pressure brought to bear by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu—specifically on local rent control.  Most House and Senate members are against repealing the state-wide ban on rent control; however, some of them might be convinced to allow local cities and towns to decide for themselves.  It will be SPOA’s job to convince them otherwise and make sure they know that there really is no such thing as local rent control. What happens in one community, especially Boston, affects the entire market and causes rental housing providers to leave the industry, sell their properties, and as a result significantly deplete rental housing stock.

The biggest unknown, however, is the incoming Healey Administration. We don’t know yet who will serve as the head of the Department on Housing and Community Development, or any of the other major housing positions. We do know that Governor-Elect Healey has said she opposes rent control state-wide but would consider a local bill. That means rent control must be stopped in the Legislature—at least with respect to regularly filed bills. The prospect of rent control being placed on a state-wide ballot initiative also looms on the political horizon, but for now, the goal is to continue our work at the State House educating veteran and new members alike on this and the other issues we care about.

SPOA and Preti will be monitoring legislation as it gets filed, starting on January 4, 2023 with hearings likely to commence in the spring.

by Jim Eisenberg