Council Adopts Resolution Supporting 2026 Rent Stabilization Ballot Question

The Council voted 9-3 to adopt a resolution urging support for a proposed 2026 statewide ballot question on rent stabilization aimed at protecting tenants across Massachusetts.

The resolution cites the rapidly escalating cost of housing in Boston as a source of profound instability for renters, placing many seniors, essential workers, and families at risk of displacement and housing insecurity. Housing affordability is identified as a top concern among residents, with more than half of renters in the Boston area considered cost-burdened, paying over 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities. More than 27 percent of renters are described as severely burdened, paying more than 50 percent of their income for housing costs.

The resolution also references the elimination of rent control through a 1994 statewide ballot question, noting that while Massachusetts voters ended rent control at that time, Boston voters supported its continuation by a significant margin. In 2022, Mayor Wu and the Council voted on a home rule petition seeking to stabilize rents in Boston, which was filed with the Massachusetts Legislature and subsequently sent to committee for study.

According to the resolution, a coalition led by Homes for All Massachusetts has since filed initiative petition language with the Attorney General to place a rent stabilization measure on the November 2026 statewide ballot. The proposed measure would cap annual rent increases at a rate tied to the Consumer Price Index, or no more than 5 percent per year, whichever is lower. The proposal includes exemptions for owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units and for newly constructed buildings during their first ten years.

By adopting the resolution, the Council formally declared its support for the proposed rent stabilization ballot measure.