At an event in Holyoke, elected officials and community leaders outlined how rent control ballot measure would harm the Pioneer Valley
HOLYOKE, MA – FEBRUARY 27, 2025 – Elected officials and regional community leaders gathered Wednesday at the Divine Theater to announce their opposition to the proposed rent control ballot question at a press conference hosted by Housing for Massachusetts. The one-size-fits-all housing policy would repeal a law passed by voters in 1994 and eventually would apply to virtually all privately owned rental housing across the Pioneer Valley that is not owned occupied.
“We face big-city challenges with small-town revenue,” said Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia. “We need thoughtful, balanced solutions, not policies that are risky for communities already working hard to rebuild. Imposing rent control would only discourage development — something Gateway Cities like ours simply cannot afford.”
The question would cap rental rate increases at the annual change in the Consumer Price Index, which has averaged about 2.58% over the past twenty years – with no exceptions for building renovations and no appeal process for property owners to recover costs for upgrades or improvements. That would be the lowest statewide cap in the U.S. Unlike in other states, the Massachusetts proposal would also apply to vacant units, meaning that for property owners who kept rents lower for elderly or long-term residents, they will never be able to catch up to market rates when those homes are vacated.
“Small property owners are really the drivers of our local economies; these neighborhoods are our homes, too,” said Jasmine Naylor, Founder of Naylor Nation Real Estate and Housing Advocate. “There’s a common misconception that landlords impose year-after-year rent increases without thought. In reality, many of us are focused simply on community stability, and work hard to not price out the very residents who make our neighborhoods vibrant and unique.”
“For cities like Springfield, where we are trying to grow and maintain our market-rate housing, we cannot afford uncertainty and discouraged investment,” said City Councilor Michael Fenton of Springfield. “We all agree we need solutions to the housing crisis. But this proposal will not solve it. The likely outcome is reduced investment, constrained maintenance, downward pressure on property values, and long-term consequences for both housing quality and municipal stability.”
As history has shown in Cambridge and as other communities in New England are now experiencing, rent control leads to lower property values and either municipal budget reductions or tax hikes on single family and condo owners.
“In my work, I primarily serve aspiring homeowners and families working hard to build stability and long-term roots in their communities,” said Judy Navarez, President of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. “When municipalities collect less revenue, they are forced to make difficult choices: raise property taxes or cut essential services. That means potential cuts to schools, public safety, fire departments, police services, and other critical community resources – the very things families prioritize when choosing where to live.”
Massachusetts has a unique history with rent control, as Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge implemented the program for nearly 25 years until voters repealed it through the statewide ballot process in 1994. During the 94 election, voters across the Commonwealth recognized that the policy did not benefit low-income residents. In fact, an MIT researcher at the time found that 90% of occupants of rent-controlled units in Cambridge were white, college educated, in their prime earning years aged 25 to 40, single and living alone. That fundamental flaw is not corrected in the ballot question proposed in 2026.
“Our goal with this property is to reinvest in Holyoke, bring back much-needed multifamily housing, and deliver safe, updated, and well-constructed homes for residents,” said Vadim Tulchinski, Managing Director at Urbanist Development. “The proposal does not allow units to reset to market rent after significant reinvestment, and it does not adequately account for the real costs of maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. If the outcome of substantial rehabilitation is that rents remain artificially capped regardless of investment, many properties like this one will sit empty.”
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
Media Contact:
Julianne Hester