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It appears that rent control will not make the 2024 ballot after supporters announced they had collected only 10,000 of the 74,000 signatures needed to qualify. Although there are 10 days left and anything can happen, the ballot question's chief architect, Rep. Mike Connolly, announced he has suspended efforts to reach the signature quota. However, Connolly and activists will now try to push their dangerous agenda through the Massachusetts legislature.
The Joint Committee on Housing will hold a hearing about rent control (H1304, H3777) and tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA) on Tuesday, November 14, beginning at 11 AM. This hearing will address a rouges' gallery of 30 housing bills in total, which you can find listed HERE. We strongly encourage property owners, brokers, other members of the business community, and all who care about property rights and the health of our neighborhoods to testify against these measures.
You may testify at the state house in person, or do so virtually. There are also instructions below detailing how one can submit written testimony as well.
In order to sign up to testify, please register with the Committee no later than 12 pm (noon) on Monday, November 13. You can do so using this form.
We hope that you will turn out to support property rights and to express your concerns about rent control and TOPA specifically. Our businesses and our communities depend on it.
You can feel free to use the talking points below, or to put them in your own words.
Regarding rent control and TOPA
I am against rent control and TOPA because they send the wrong message to current and potential rental housing providers that Massachusetts is not a welcoming state. We should be encouraging more owners to become rental housing providers, not pushing them away.
Regarding rent control
I am against rent control because it:
- reduces the much-needed supply of housing, which reduces housing availability, while driving up rents
- makes it more difficult for owners to collect their hard-earned rental income and to keep up with rising operating costs
- leads to the disrepair of existing housing and neighborhoods
- makes it more difficult to remove noncompliant tenants to the detriment of the owners, the properties themselves, and the other good tenants who depend on their landlords for safe, maintained living places
- deprives municipalities of the tax dollars paid by property owners
Regarding TOPA
I am against TOPA because it:
- allows third parties to significantly delay and hijack transactions between sellers and potential buyers
- makes it more difficult for owners to sell their properties at a fair price
- discourages the average potential buyer from investing in rental property
- fails to help tenants purchase the properties that they rent
- reduces property values
Please register for the hearing and make your voices heard to keep our momentum going!
Sincerely,
Small Property Owners Association (SPOA)
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