Amherst Council Backs State Rent Stabilization Bill

AMHERST — The Town Council voted 11-1-1 on June 15 to endorse pending state legislation that would allow communities to adopt rent stabilization policies, joining Northampton and Easthampton in backing the measure as lawmakers debate whether to lift a statewide ban on rent control.

Counselor Amber Cano-Martin pointed to what she described as a housing crisis in Amherst, where market rental prices are 50% to 100% higher than regional fair market rent and 25% of families anticipate leaving town within five years, citing unsustainable housing costs. The resolution throws the council's weight behind S. 1447 and H. 2328, legislation titled "An Act Enabling Cities and Towns to Stabilize Rents and Protect Tenants." A petition supporting the resolution gathered 142 signatures from residents and community organizations.

State Rep. Mindy Domb, who sponsored the bill, explained that the proposed laws are opt-in, allowing only communities that choose to participate to adopt rent stabilization. Under the current proposal, annual rent increases would be capped at the consumer price index or 5%, whichever is lower, even when a new tenant moves in. New construction would be exempt from this restriction for five years, though legislators are still debating whether to extend the exemption to 15 years. Domb said July 1 is the deadline for finalizing the legislation, and if the bill does not advance, there may be a rent stabilization referendum on the November ballot.

Domb emphasized that rent stabilization alone cannot solve the housing crisis. "In order for us to address the housing crisis, we have to produce units, and we have to prevent displacement," she said. "We have to do both." She noted that declining population due to people leaving communities because they cannot afford housing leads to falling school enrollment and reduced state and federal funding.

Counselor Hala Lord spoke personally in favor, saying she felt the ground shifting beneath her because housing costs keep rising and feared being priced out of even renting in Amherst. Councilor Jill Brevik, one of the resolution sponsors, noted that for low-income households, large rent increases can cause displacement that leads to mental health issues and disrupts children's education.

Counselor Lynn Griesemer said she found the state's bill flawed but would support the resolution because it allows communities to develop a local bylaw tailored to their needs. Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke cast the only vote against the resolution, arguing that the five-year exemption for new construction was too short and that the consumer price index cap did not account for landlords' rising costs, including property tax increases. She questioned whether the measure would actually help unhoused people find housing in Amherst, saying it might decrease mobility and lower vacancy rates.

An hour-long public comment period featured residents describing struggles to find and afford rental housing in town. Economist Michael Ash argued that the rental market was "increasingly monopolized" and that rent control could actually expand the market housing supply by ending the incentive to withhold units to extract high rents. Economist Jessica Reyes agreed that Amherst's was "a monopolistic market" and called for supporting the measure to "give the power to the people, not profit-seeking landlords and corporations."

Counselor Sam MacLeod abstained from the vote. The council also heard concerns from Andy Churchill about the proposed bills, and George Ryan noted that the resolution Amherst was adopting might not match the final legislation the Legislature produces, though Domb said that is typical for endorsements of pending bills.