At 2pm today, Beacon Hill will hear from the people this rent control ballot question hits first and foremost: small property owners.
Our campaign – Housing for Massachusetts – will join a panel of elected officials, labor leaders, chamber executives, and three “mom and pop” owners who each manage just a handful of units.
These owners are not “corporate landlords.” They grew up in public housing, served in the military, built careers, and now pour time and money into improving their neighborhoods. Their units are often the first rung on the ladder: the triple decker, the two family, the starter apartment that makes the next step possible.
Yet the proponents of this ballot question insist that anyone who owns more than four units or any non owner occupied property is “corporate.” We know the truth: more than 60% of rental properties in Massachusetts are owned by small property owners, and their livelihoods are on the line.
We’re already seeing how this plays out elsewhere. In New York City, plans for rent freezes and higher property taxes are, as the Wall Street Journal put it, “pushing small landlords toward extinction.” The result isn’t tenant stability – it’s fewer local owners, more distressed sales, and more consolidation.
For generations, small property owners – many of them first generation Americans – have used a three decker or two family as a foothold to the American dream. This ballot question would make it virtually impossible for many of them to sustain their buildings, retire with dignity, or leave something to their children.
You can watch today’s hearing live on the Legislature’s website, and you can join us at HousingforMass.com to help defeat a ballot question that would devastate small property owners in Massachusetts and shut the door on a proven pathway to the middle class.
If you are a small housing provider or grew up in a home owned by a local landlord, join the conversation in the comments on LinkedIn.
