Housing rally in Springfield to gather signatures for rent stabilization ballot question
SPRINGFIELD — For more than 30 years, housing advocates say landlords have gone unchecked due to a statewide ban on rent control.
That would all change if a ballot initiative that would stabilize rents passes next year.
"We need rent control now," said Katie Talbot, organizing director for Springfield No One Leaves, a grassroots housing advocacy organization in Springfield that is holding a rally Saturday to get signatures to move the ballot initiative forward.
As it stands, there is no law that limits how much rent can increase for residential units in Massachusetts each year. Language filed with the state Attorney General's Office earlier this month would limit annual rent hikes statewide to the cost of living increase measured by the Consumer Price Index , with a maximum cap of 5%.
Talbot said residents have told Springfield No One Leaves they have experienced anywhere between $50 and $800 monthly rent increases as new landlords or corporate landlords have bought properties in the city.
"Our goal is to keep people in their homes," said Talbot.
The rally Saturday morning on the steps of City Hall will coincide with rallies across the state, including in Lawrence, Lynn and Boston, Talbot said. The event, at 36 Court St., starts at 9 a.m.
The rally will be held in partnership with the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness, and will include speakers like state Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, and affected tenants.
Gomez is the co-sponsor of a bill that would allow municipalities to protect tenants through rent stabilization . He did not immediately respond to questions about the bill or rally Tuesday afternoon.
The AG's Office last week certified the ballot initiative, which was pushed forward by Homes for All Massachusetts, a coalition of a dozen housing organizations across the state, including Springfield No One Leaves.
The initiative is at the beginning of the process, Talbot said. Homes for All will need to obtain close to 75,000 signatures by mid-November. And it will need to collect more signatures next spring before it campaigns to get the question on the ballot by the 2026 gubernatorial election.
A previous effort to get rent stabilization on the 2024 ballot was abandoned after its proponents failed to get enough signatures to qualify.
The rally in Springfield will be close to the Massachusetts Democrats State Convention, which will be held Saturday at the MassMutual Center. "We intentionally held our rally close to the convention so we can hopefully get legislators to sign," Talbot said.
Elected officials, according to Springfield No One Leaves, are a part of the problem.
"Their commitment to housing as a human right has been in name only, even with historic state investments," according to an emailed release from the organization. "Many in our legislature take their guidance from the housing industry itself and cling to the false belief that simply building more units will solve the crisis."
Last week, the AG's Office announced a crackdown on Springfield Gardens, former city landlord widely criticized for blighted conditions at dozens of apartments.
In a consent settlement agreed upon by both the state attorney's office and Schweb Partners LLC — made up of property managers Jacques Schmidt and Abraham Weber of New Jersey — the landlord soon might be banned from owning and managing rental properties in Massachusetts. The property managers owe the state $2.5 million and must forgive $7.5 million in alleged unpaid rent for affected residents.
"It's a big deal," Talbot said Tuesday. "Residents matter more than (private equity firms') bottom line."
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