By Eugene T. Lowe
November 4, 2002

Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino reintroduced on October 21 rent control for approximately 70,000 city tenants. The mayor's action is in response to increasing housing costs. The mayor said: "Rents have increased tremendously over the last year or so and gone beyond working peoples' ability to pay. It's time to try to stabilize the rents as best we can."

Mayor Menino is calling his proposal — rent stabilization — in order not to get in the quagmire of political controversy which often revolves around the term "rent control". The mayor's plan would cap the annual rent increases to 5 percent for the elderly, disabled and low or moderate-income tenants. Low or moderate-income would be those persons earning less than 80 percent of the median income of the city.

Boston's previous rent control law was repealed in 1994 in a statewide ballot initiative that was funded by landlords. Mayor Menino's rent stabilization plan is a home rule petition and will need to be approved by the city council and state legislature.

Menino Speaks To Connecticut Housing Coalition

On October 22, Mayor Menino spoke to 600 attendees at "Homeward Bound", the Connecticut Housing Coalition's Annual Conference in Cromwell. Menino told the group: "Now is the time for America to get back into the housing business. Housing helps spur our economy — from the tradespersons who build the housing to the equipment suppliers and the people who write and close the loans. It's a big part of the jumpstart our economy sorely needs."

Commenting on the upcoming mid-term elections, Merino said: "If housing is high on your agenda, work to make it a high priority in the last two weeks of this year's campaign. Ask the candidates what they will do to promote the creation of more workforce housing and perhaps, we will find a few new advocates, in both parties, for our national agenda. We need their help, no matter who wins."