A statewide hire management initiative that seeks to cap annual hire will increase in Massachusetts at 5% has gained sufficient signatures to maneuver one step nearer to being placed on the 2026 poll, organizers say.
Properties for All Massachusetts says it has collected over 124,000 signatures via its “Keep Massachusetts Home” marketing campaign, vastly surpassing the 74,574 required by state regulation, to qualify the hire stabilization poll initiative for the 2026 poll. All poll initiatives should meet the required signature whole and submit them to the Secretary of State by December third.
“Over the past few months, thousands of renters and homeowners across the state stood outside grocery stores and shopping malls, spoke to neighbors at soccer games and school dropoffs, and organized their communities to sign for rent control — because we believe that everyone in Massachusetts should be able to afford a place to call home,” mentioned Rose Webster-Smith, Director of Springfield No One Leaves. “By coming together to win rent control on the ballot next year, we can keep Massachusetts home for all of us.”
The poll initiative, known as An Initiative Petition to Defend Tenants by Limiting Hire Will increase, would restrict annual hire will increase in Massachusetts to the price of residing, with a 5% cap. The “Keep Massachusetts Home” marketing campaign says, for instance, that an condominium renting at $2,000 per thirty days would see an annual improve in month-to-month hire of not more than $100 below the initiative.
“In the richest state in the most powerful country in the world, how is it possible that some people are forced to choose between paying rent or buying groceries? No one should be homeless because their landlord doubled their rent overnight, and everyone deserves a place to call home,” mentioned Boston-based marketing campaign volunteer Sandra Ramgeet.
The event has opponents to the initiative and advocates for the state’s actual property trade sounding the alarm, calling the it “the most restrictive rent control program” within the nation.
“The risks of this ballot question for our economy cannot be overstated. It is not an opt-in: this question creates the most restrictive rent control program in the entire United States and forces it on every city and town across the Commonwealth. It will unquestionably make our housing crisis worse and significantly reduce the supply of quality homes on the rental market,” mentioned the Larger Boston Actual Property Board (GBREB), the Massachusetts Affiliation of Realtors (MAR), and NAIOP Massachusetts in a joint assertion.
“Our priority over the next year will be educating homeowners, community leaders, businesses, and elected officials about exactly how damaging this proposal will be for their families, schools, workforces, and local budgets. At every point of the process, we will do whatever it takes to protect our economy, create new housing, and strengthen the future of Massachusetts,” they mentioned.
Gov. Maura Healey was requested in regards to the initiative’s success with gathering signatures after an occasion on the state home, telling reporters that hire management must be a neighborhood problem.
“My position on rent control has been and really is that it is appropriately a local issue. It’s up to each city and town to decide. It really isn’t something that is suited to a ‘one size fits all’ solution,” Healey mentioned. “I understand that people are just really struggling around Massachusetts and around this country with the high cost of housing. Its why as governor, in my first year, I filed and even signed a housing bill to build more housing around the state.”
Moreover, the initiative would apply the restrict on hire will increase to new renters, taking away the power of landlords to boost hire past the said 5% cap in-between tenants. They are saying it could additionally “support small landlords, not big corporations,” by exempting owner-occupied buildings with 4 or fewer models. Organizers of the poll initiative name pushback from the actual property trade an try and unfold “misinformation.”
“We know that corporate real estate lobbyists will say anything to protect their ability to double rents overnight, and we’ve already had tens of thousands of conversations with voters across the state to get ahead of their misinformation, and talk about how rent stabilization will stabilize our communities, protect our essential workers, and keep rent costs reasonable and predictable so that renters can save and have a fair shot at the dream of owning a home,” mentioned Noemi “Mimi” Ramos, Govt Director of New England Group Venture.
As soon as submitted to the Secretary of State’s Workplace, the initiative will go to the Legislature, which has till Could to behave on it. If no motion is taken by lawmakers, a further 12,429 signatures would have to be collected and submitted by July 1st.
