BOSTON, MA – May 8, 2026 – Housing for Massachusetts this week will begin airing a first wave of television ads that aim to educate Massachusetts voters about a proposed ballot question that would mandate a one-size-fits-all rent control policy on every community in the Commonwealth and raise costs for everyone.
The initial television ad, “The Facts,” makes clear that this ballot question on “rent control” is far more than it seems.
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. It launches the same weekend that the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) is set to approve a $1 million expenditure to support the ballot question, despite the negative impact the proposal will have on the municipal budgets that schools and educators rely on.
The MTA itself has already raised the alarm about cuts to teachers in Boston, Amherst, Malden, Framingham, Groton-Dunstable, Leverett, Bridgewater and “a dozen other communities.” Yet, teachers will be asked this weekend to vote against their own futures and help fund an effort that imposes the same budget destroying mandate on every community, no matter how different.
The educational campaign begins just days after the non-partisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation announced its opposition to the rent control ballot question, noting:
“Statutorily limiting rent increases will make Massachusetts rental properties unattractive for investors and make new rental unit developments financially infeasible. Financing will flow to other areas that do not statutorily limit the ability to recoup development costs, worsening the housing shortage in Massachusetts and degrading the existing housing stock. Rent control should not be adopted because it will exacerbate housing shortages, drive up housing costs, and increase property taxes for homeowners.”
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Housing for Massachusetts is a coalition of Massachusetts citizens, small property owners, family-owned real estate companies, affordable housing developers, and housing advocates. We aim to educate and advocate for policies that support housing creation in Massachusetts, improving availability and affordability for all. Learn more at HousingforMass.com