Boston Globe Identifies Efforts by SPOA and Others as Impediments to Passage of Rent Control
Dear SPOA Members and Supporters:
On April 23, The Boston Globe released an article that featured SPOA advocating against rent control, along with the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB).
You can view the article HERE or HERE.
We encourage you to continue this advocacy by contacting your representatives to oppose all rent control proposals that are before the state legislature, including the Boston home rule petition. If you do not see your representatives in the list below, please use the link underneath it to find them. You can do this by simply typing in your address to find your state representative and state senator.
Sincerely,
Small Property Owners Association (SPOA)
I am writing to express my strong opposition to rent control (aka "rent stabilization") and great concern as a property owner and community member. I urge you to vote against this proposal in all of its forms, including the following bills as currently numbered:
The proposed policy is very dangerous for housing providers AND tenants alike. The main driver of the housing and affordability crisis is the lack of available homes. If passed, these measures would negatively impact the rental housing stock in Massachusetts, which is already suffering from an extreme supply shortage.
Saint Paul, Minnesota enacted a rent control policy in 2021. Now, the city’s building permits are down 80 percent while rents are projected to keep rising. Meanwhile, Minneapolis (Saint Paul's neighbor to the west) has seen a dramatic increase in construction, apartment supply, and a decrease in rents.
The following article mentions several historical examples of rent control failures in the United States, as well as viable alternatives and solutions: https://bostonpads.com/blog/real-estate-news/rent-control-in-boston-what-you-need-to-know/.
In addition, I am opposed to rent control because it strains homeowners’ ability to properly upkeep their properties— leading to disrepair no one wants. Rent control also makes it more difficult to remove difficult tenants, which harms owners and their properties, in addition to the other tenants who depend on housing providers for safe, maintained living spaces. The policy further threatens property owners by restricting their contract rights and management abilities. Moreover, while it may appear to help tenants in the short run, rent control does not resolve the core drivers of the current affordability crisis.
I DO support measures such as zoning reform and facilitating the permitting and construction process that would increase housing supply and benefit housing providers and tenants alike.
State Senators for Boston
Lydia Edwards - First Suffolk | 617-722-1634 | Lydia.Edwards@masenate.gov
William N. Brownsberger- Second Suffolk | 617-722-1280 | William.Brownsberger@masenate.gov
Sonia Chang-Diaz - Second Suffolk | 617-722-1673 | Sonia.Chang-Diaz@masenate.gov
Nick Collins - First Suffolk | 617-722-1150 | Nick.Collins@masenate.gov
Sal N. DiDomenico - Suffolk | 617-722-1650 | Sal.DiDomenico@masenate.gov
Michael F. Rush Suffolk | 617-722-1348 | Mike.Rush@masenate.gov
State Representatives for Boston
Adrian Madaro - 1st Suffolk | 617-722-2060 | Adrian.Madaro@mahouse.gov
Dan Ryan - 2nd Suffolk | 617-722-2460 | Dan.Ryan@mahouse.gov
Aaron M. Michlewitz - 3rd Suffolk | 617-722-2990 | Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov
David Biele - 4th Suffolk | 617-722-2460 | David.Biele@mahouse.gov
Christopher Worrell - 5th Suffolk | 617-722-2000 x6313 | Christopher.Worrell@mahouse.gov
Russell E. Holmes - 6th Suffolk | 617-722-2220 | Russell.Holmes@mahouse.gov
Chynah Tyler - 7th Suffolk | 617-722-2396 | Chynah.Tyler@mahouse.gov
Jay Livingstone - 8th Suffolk | 617-722-2575 | Jay.Livingstone@mahouse.gov
Jon Santiago - 9th Suffolk | 617-722-2450 | jon.santiago@mahouse.gov
Edward F. Coppinger - 10th Suffolk | 617-722-2080 | Edward.Coppinger@mahouse.gov
Elizabeth A. Malia - 11th Suffolk | 617-722-2230 | Liz.Malia@mahouse.gov
Brandy Fluker Oakley - 12th Suffolk | 617-722-2400 | Brandy.FlukerOakley@mahouse.gov
Daniel Hunt - 13th Suffolk | 617-722-2380 | Daniel.Hunt@mahouse.gov
Rob Consalvo - 14th Suffolk | 617-722-2140 | Rob.Consalvo@mahouse.gov
Nika Elugardo - 15th Suffolk | 617-722-2263 | nika.elugardo@mahouse.gov
Kevin G. Honan - 17th Suffolk | 617-722-2470 | Kevin.Honan@mahouse.gov
Michael J. Moran - 18th Suffolk | 617-722-2014 | Michael.Moran@mahouse.gov
If your legislators are not listed above, you can look them up HERE
SPOA is a landlord advocacy organization made up of volunteers. Our response to this crisis will be determined by our funding. In order to combat this intrusion into private housing we need your support. Please financially support our efforts today - the consequences of these actions may be dire. Housing providers must push back against these dire threats to our industry. Please donate what you can today, or send checks to “SPOA, Inc.” at 840 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02127
