As rent control ballot fight heats up, supporters are floating a compromise – The Boston

The advocates behind the ballot question that would create one of the country’s strictest rent control programs in Massachusetts are floating a compromise measure that would still cap rents while avoiding a bruising ballot fight this fall.

The proposal, sent to real estate groups Sunday by tenant group Keep Massachusetts Home, would give towns the option to enact rent caps themselves, instead of instituting a blanket limit statewide. It would also allow for annual rent increases of 5 percent plus inflation, up to 10 percent, more modest than the ballot measure which limits them to the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, whichever is lower. Broadly speaking the plan, a summary of which was viewed by the Globe, follows the outlines of the policy Boston Mayor Michelle Wu proposed in 2023.

That effort died in the Legislature. Whether this one fares any better remains to be seen. Real estate groups that have vowed to defeat rent control at the ballot box were noncommittal on Tuesday.

“We were formally contacted by the Yes campaign on Sunday with language that differs from the proposed ballot question,” Conor Yunits, chair of the opposition campaign — Housing for Massachusetts — said in a statement. “In good faith we will review their proposal. Our campaign is focused on policies that protect property owners, renters, housing production, and community budgets.”

While both sides are gearing up for a campaign, at least some developers have been quietly discussing the prospect of a compromise for weeks. Still, no agreement has been reached, and compromise could prove difficult. Some real estate groups are flatly opposed to any sort rent control in Massachusetts, and believe the ballot question could be defeated in the November elections, likely taking it off the table for years.

Any compromise measure on rent control would need to go through Beacon Hill, where lawmakers have historically been chilly to proposals on the topic.
Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

Then there is the Legislature, which has been decidedly chilly toward rent control proposals over the years. Even if real estate groups and tenant advocates can craft a mutually-acceptable compromise, winning the support of lawmakers — who have less than two months left in formal sessions — would be another question entirely.

But the fact that a compromise is on the table at all suggests that some real estate groups may prefer to avoid the possibility of voters approving a strict rent cap. While opponents have launched a barrage of TV ads and pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars to defeat the ballot question, voters are fed up with the ever-rising cost of housing in this state, and some polls have showed strong support for rent control.

Representatives for Keep Massachusetts Home could not immediately be reached for comment.

Andrew Brinker can be reached at andrew.brinker@globe.com. Follow him @andrewnbrinker.