Wu sets up committee to study rent stablization; would recommend legislation for after Baker leaves office (Boston: rentals, condos)

[BostonBornMassMade]

https://www.universalhub.com/2022/wu...lization-would

Unlike rent control, in which the city essentially sets rents and annual increases, rent stabilization typically limits the percentages by which landlords could increase rents, often by the cost-of-living. However, the mayor's office adds, rent stablization could "include other tenant protections" for the roughly 65% of Boston residents who rent.

Members of the committee:

Emma Anderson, Boston Teachers Union member
Kathy Brown, Coordinator at Boston Tenant Coalition
Joe Byrne, Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
Karen Chen, Executive Director at Chinese Progressive Association
Filaine Deronnette, Vice President of Health Systems for 1199 SEIU
Emilio Dorcely, CEO of Urban Edge
Dermot Doyne, Local landlord and business owner
Chris Herbert, Managing Director of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
Beyazmin Jimenez, Abundant Housing Massachusetts Board President
Michael Kane, Executive Director at HUD Tenant Alliance
Brian Kavoogian, Managing Director of National Development
Curtis Kemeny, CEO and President of Boston Residential Group
Joe Kriesberg, President of Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations
Denise Matthews-Turner, Co-Executive Director at City Life Vida Urbana
Lisa Owens, Executive Director at Hyams Foundation
Jeanne Pinado, Vice President of Capital Markets at Colliers International
Mimi Ramos, Executive Director at New England United for Justice
Megan Sandel, Associate Professor of Pediatric Medicine at Boston University
Chanda Smart, CEO at Onyx
Lauren Song, Senior Attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services
Justin Steil, Associate Professor of Law and Urban Planning, MIT
Carolyn Villers, Executive Director at Mass Senior Action
Josh Zakim, Founder and Executive Director at Housing Forward MA

[WestieWhitie]

Looks like comrade chairWumyn really wants to beat SF...

[bostongymjunkie]

She certainly set that up to be a defining issue in the next Governor's race.

[massnative71]

Considering that the underlying issue is lack of supply, what would a measure like this do to promote the creation of more housing units in the region?

[BostonBornMassMade]

People are gonna build here regardless.

The rent they can charge will still be sky high. I can build a new building and still charge $3,990/Mo out the gate.

You can encourage new housing while stabilizing rent increases. I think it’s a fallacy to say otherwise.

The easiest way to make construction more affordable is to speed up the process by abolishing the BPDA and streamlining The development process by offering more by-right development for affordable housing. This requires new zoning law.

People are like “what happened back I. The 80s” I laugh again. what does Boston in the 80s have to do with today. What’s the similarity ? Totally different environment/desirability/profitability

If you think you can’t have development and rent control I just laughs I guess you e never heard of DC or NYC. Two small towns you may have heard of em- with rent control and a lot of new development. One is a little cheaper than Boston ones about the same price.

[WestieWhitie]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

People are gonna build here regardless.

The rent they can charge will still be sky high. I can build a new building and still charge $3,990/Mo out the gate.

You can encourage new housing while stabilizing rent increases. I think it’s a fallacy to say otherwise.

The easiest way to make construction more affordable is to speed up the process by abolishing the BPDA and streamlining The development process by offering more by-right development for affordable housing. This requires new zoning law.

People are like “what happened back I. The 80s” I laugh again. what does Boston in the 80s have to do with today. What’s the similarity ? Totally different environment/desirability/profitability

If you think you can’t have development and rent control I just laughs I guess you e never heard of DC or NYC. Two small towns you may have heard of em- with rent control and a lot of new development. One is a little cheaper than Boston ones about the same price.

Homie, there’s this little town called San Francisco, ever heard of it?

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

People are gonna build here regardless.

The rent they can charge will still be sky high. I can build a new building and still charge $3,990/Mo out the gate.

You can encourage new housing while stabilizing rent increases. I think it’s a fallacy to say otherwise.

The easiest way to make construction more affordable is to speed up the process by abolishing the BPDA and streamlining The development process by offering more by-right development for affordable housing. This requires new zoning law.

People are like “what happened back I. The 80s” I laugh again. what does Boston in the 80s have to do with today. What’s the similarity ? Totally different environment/desirability/profitability

If you think you can’t have development and rent control I just laughs I guess you e never heard of DC or NYC. Two small towns you may have heard of em- with rent control and a lot of new development. One is a little cheaper than Boston ones about the same price.

The only true way to prevent gouging is by making the owners compete for tenants, vs. tenants competing with each other. With artificial controls, they will find some other way to gouge the consumer (trust me on that one). You cannot tell me that rent "stabilization" will not discourage new construction, or result in them charging even higher rents to new tenants (depending on what the fine print says).

[WestieWhitie]

Originally Posted by massnative71

The only true way to prevent gouging is by making the owners compete for tenants, vs. tenants competing with each other. With artificial controls, they will find some other way to gouge the consumer (trust me on that one). You cannot tell me that rent "stabilization" will not discourage new construction, or result in them charging even higher rents to new tenants (depending on what the fine print says).

“Rent control never worked because it wasn’t real rent control, it’ll surely work this time because it’ll be real rent control because comrade chairWumyn said so!”

[Tex3650]

I think what you will see in areas like Roxbury and Dorchester for example is an accelerated conversion to condos. Ultimately there will be less rentals here as city will be unable to keep up with building housing here at same rate as condo conversions. We live in a capitalist society, there is really no way around it. Best way to keep up with affordable housing is to attach percentages to new builds and eliminate all the obstacles to new building.

[GeePee]

Just this week there were two developments of 45 residence less than a mile from an MBTA station blocked for the typical NIMBY reasoning of (parking, traffic, doesn't fit the neighborhood, blocking sight lines). If Wu is serious about housing affordability she needs to take a hard looking at the zoning board and give willing builders a chance in hell to even want to build here.