Shrinking Local Property Values and Municipal Revenue
It’s local budget season in Massachusetts: headlines are full of proposed teacher cuts, Prop 2½ overrides, and mounting pressure on municipal finances. That’s why it is so striking that some of the strongest support for statewide rent control is coming from a city already in fiscal trouble — and from teachers who are fighting to […]
Rent Control is not the Answer
“Rent control doesn’t reduce housing supply. There is simply no data whatsoever to support this claim.” That’s what one proponent told Massachusetts legislators last week. But remember, Massachusetts has been here before. Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge had rent control from 1970 until it was banned by voters in 1994. And the numbers from Cambridge’s own […]
My Path to Financial Security in Jeopardy
“I grew up in public housing. I served 21 years in the military, including two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. I saved every penny I could. I put those savings into six rental units in Massachusetts. That’s my path to financial security. From public housing, to the uniform, to the skies. The American […]
New Rent Control Study Shows Wide-Ranging Impacts
Some of the many misconceptions about this proposed rent control question in Massachusetts are that it’s an opt-in measure, or that it only impacts cities like Boston, or that it only applies to large multi-family properties. The truth is that this question, with some minor exceptions, will apply to every single residential dwelling unit that […]
Fewer Homes, Fewer Jobs, Fewer Opportunities
For months, we’ve been hearing that investors are hesitant to back new residential development in Massachusetts because of the statewide rent control ballot question. In a Boston Globe column last week, one major institutional investor, who manages billions on behalf of union pension funds, put it bluntly: “If you want to kill housing production, put […]
One-Size-Fits-All Rent Control Does Not Work
Last week, we were thrilled to stand with Western Mass leaders who know we must tackle the housing crisis — but also know this rent control ballot question is not the answer. Holyoke Mayor Josh Garcia put it in clear local terms: one-size-fits-all rent control could decrease property values and ultimately reduce tax revenue for […]
Our Campaign to Protect Housing in Massachusetts
Our Campaign to Protect Housing in Massachusetts In November 2026, people across Massachusetts will vote on up to a dozen ballot questions, including a potentially disastrous rent control proposal. I’m proud to serve as Chair of Housing for Massachusetts, a growing coalition of small property owners, local business leaders, mayors, city councilors, and everyday citizens […]