Our coalition, Housing for Massachusetts, held a press conference to explain our opposition to the rent control ballot initiative at the Massachusetts State House on May 14, 2026.
SPOA President Amir Shahsavari spoke on the panel with MassLandlords Executive Director Doug Quattrochi, MassLandlords member Steffen Amun Ra, and Springfield small property owner Jasmine Naylor. Housing for Massachusetts Chair Conor Yunits served as moderator.
The press conference was covered by WGBH Radio. State House News Service also covered the event in an article that was syndicated in several other publications, including Banker & Tradesman, The Eagle Tribune, Fall River Reporter, and Worcester Business Journal, among other publications throughout Massachusetts. The Dorchester Reporter covered this press conference as well. You will find a link to the articles below, in addition to a summary from Housing for Massachusetts which also features a new commercial opposing rent control.
Worcester Business Journal
Property owners say costs outpacing proposed rent caps
Dorchester Reporter
Small landlords air their case vs. rent control in State House setting
From Housing for Massachusetts
May 15, 2026
Yesterday at the Massachusetts State House, four small property owners from different corners of Massachusetts shared their view of the proposed ballot question that would implement a one-size-fits-all mandate on rent in every community.
As reported by the State House News Service, those four owners offered a first hand look at how their costs are "outpacing proposed rent caps."
On the panel, Small Property Owners Association (SPOA) President Amir Shahsavari noted, "costs rose during the pandemic and haven't gone down...utilities costs are up about 39%, property insurance is up 25% to 40%, property taxes are up 21%, and supplies for repairs and maintenance are up roughly 30%. Energy costs, mortgage payments and interest have also risen.
'When you have a policy where rents would be capped at 5% or CPI, whichever is lower — and CPI is typically somewhere in the 2-2.5% range — that's not enough for us to keep up with expenses, and therefore housing falls into disrepair and problems ensue for both tenants, owners and other stakeholders,' Shahsavari said."
Amir's points illustrate the fundamental truths of this proposed ballot question: it will not lower rents, but it will make it impossible for small property owners to continue to provide quality housing.
Our campaign team at Housing for Massachusetts is working hard to share this truth. As you may have noticed, we took to the airwaves this week with our first advertisement.
"Audio: Here are the facts: It imposes a rent mandate on every city and town, with no exceptions. Studies show prices could go up for most renters. The housing supply decreases. And finding a place to live gets even harder. And for homeowners, rent mandates could raise property taxes ten percent. Forcing deep cuts to schools and first responders."
This initial ad buy will include broadcast, cable, and digital channels and will run for several weeks.
Please share this ad with your networks, and help spread the word about the devastating consequences of this mandate.
-Conor Yunits
Chair, Housing for Massachusetts