Upcoming Rent Control Proposal In Boston

In a recent interview with WBUR Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is preparing her rent control proposal to be submitted in early 2023.

During this interview Mayor Wu highlighted that her two primary focuses are Housing and Transportation, which she believes need to be solved at the city, state, and federal level. 

In discussing rent control, Mayor Wu said she will be putting a proposal forward at the State House when "their next legislative session opens up in 2023."  According to the mayor, the advisory committee on rent control she put together in March is wrapping up the final pieces of the proposal that she thinks will be a "good balance."

Rent control was banned by the State of Massachusetts in 1994 so any proposal will need the approval of the City Council, state lawmakers, and the governor, who is soon to be Maura Healey.

Boston and Cambridge actually did have rent control previously in the 90's and a study that the City of Cambridge put together discussed the numerous issues of their rent control policies including: Bribes, Insider Knowledge and Lack of Access Kept Rent-controlled Units Out of Reach for Disadvantaged Populations, Dilapidated Housing Units Threaten Rental Stock, and Code Inspection Efforts are “woefully deficient.”

Rent control is a way to address a symptom, which is housing is expensive.  The only way to properly solve any problem is to address the root cause, which is a shortage of housing stock in the Greater Boston area.  Until state and city lawmakers are willing to make changes to zoning and make it easier to build homes, there will be no solution that will satisfy the citizens of the community.