HOLYOKE, Mass. — Elected officials and community leaders from across the Pioneer Valley gathered Wednesday at the Divine Theater in Holyoke to voice opposition to a proposed statewide rent control ballot question, arguing the measure would stifle housing development and strain local economies.
The press conference, hosted by Housing for Massachusetts, brought together municipal leaders, real estate professionals, and housing advocates who warned that the proposal would reverse decades of housing policy and negatively impact cities like Holyoke and Springfield.
“We face big-city challenges with small-town revenue,” said Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia. “We need thoughtful, balanced solutions, not policies that are risky for communities already working hard to rebuild. Imposing rent control would only discourage development — something Gateway Cities like ours simply cannot afford.”
The ballot question would repeal a 1994 statewide law that banned rent control and would cap annual rent increases at the change in the Consumer Price Index, which has averaged approximately 2.58% over the past 20 years. Opponents say the proposal includes no exemptions for building renovations and no appeal process for property owners seeking to recover costs for upgrades or improvements.
Unlike rent control policies in some other states, the Massachusetts proposal would also apply to vacant units. Critics argue that property owners who previously kept rents below market rates for elderly or long-term tenants would be unable to adjust rents to market levels after those units are vacated.
“Small property owners are really the drivers of our local economies; these neighborhoods are our homes, too,” said Jasmine Naylor, founder of Naylor Nation Real Estate and a housing advocate. “There’s a common misconception that landlords impose year-after-year rent increases without thought. In reality, many of us are focused simply on community stability, and work hard to not price out the very residents who make our neighborhoods vibrant and unique.”
Springfield City Councilor Michael Fenton echoed concerns about economic uncertainty.
“For cities like Springfield, where we are trying to grow and maintain our market-rate housing, we cannot afford uncertainty and discouraged investment,” Fenton said. “We all agree we need solutions to the housing crisis. But this proposal will not solve it. The likely outcome is reduced investment, constrained maintenance, downward pressure on property values, and long-term consequences for both housing quality and municipal stability.”
Opponents also pointed to Massachusetts’ history with rent control. The policy was previously implemented in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge for nearly 25 years before being repealed by voters in 1994. Supporters of the repeal at the time argued the policy failed to effectively target low-income residents. An MIT researcher found that 90% of rent-controlled unit occupants in Cambridge were white, college-educated individuals between the ages of 25 and 40.
“In my work, I primarily serve aspiring homeowners and families working hard to build stability and long-term roots in their communities,” said Judy Navarez, president of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. “When municipalities collect less revenue, they are forced to make difficult choices: raise property taxes or cut essential services. That means potential cuts to schools, public safety, fire departments, police services, and other critical community resources — the very things families prioritize when choosing where to live.”
Developers also raised concerns that the proposal could discourage reinvestment in aging housing stock.
“Our goal with this property is to reinvest in Holyoke, bring back much-needed multifamily housing, and deliver safe, updated, and well-constructed homes for residents,” said Vadim Tulchinski, managing director at Urbanist Development. “The proposal does not allow units to reset to market rent after significant reinvestment, and it does not adequately account for the real costs of maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. If the outcome of substantial rehabilitation is that rents remain artificially capped regardless of investment, many properties like this one will sit empty.”
Housing for Massachusetts describes itself as a coalition of residents, small property owners, family-owned real estate companies, affordable housing developers, and housing advocates working to support housing creation across the Commonwealth. The group says it plans to continue educating voters about what it views as the unintended consequences of the proposed rent control measure ahead of the 2026 ballot.
