In a Tuesday meeting focused on rent control, some testifiers pitched rent control as part of the solution to Massachusetts’ housing crisis.
Other experts pointed to a recent Tufts study that says this policy would cause fiscal and housing chaos in Massachusetts. The study says rent control would force cities and towns to increase taxes by at least 10% due to rapid loss of tax revenue and property value, or be forced to cut services ranging from firefighting to public libraries.
“Rent control is a failed policy that has proven to halt the construction of critically-needed housing in every corner of the commonwealth,” said Chair of the Methuen City Council, Neily Soto.
Governor Healey chimed in on this ballot question, saying she’s against it, and she has already heard from housing developers who have had their funding pulled by investors because of this push for rent control.
Based on current widespread public support, and the unlikeliness that lawmakers will pass a bill that reflects the proposed question, rent control has a relatively clear path to the ballot in November.
Author: Olivia Rau
Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/this-ballot-question-could-change-how-lawmakers-are-paid/ar-AA1YQOqo?ocid=iehp5&apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1