Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)

Citation: Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)
Jurisdiction: Arlington (municipal)
Source: Official source
Original Source: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57214/637641171662530000 ↗

Related Parts of This Source

Full Text

1,772 chars

Rent Control and Rent Stabilization
A statewide referendum in 1994 banned rent control in private housing in all parts of the state. At the time, only
Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline allowed rent control. Those communities voted to uphold rent control. A slim
majority of Massachusetts voters approved the ban, including most voters in Arlington at the time. Rent control
remains controversial. Communities in "hot markets” across the US are reconsidering rent stabilization
techniques, as some have seen year-over-year rises in housing costs greater than 10%. This level of housing cost
growth is unsustainable for most households but is especially deleterious to housing stability for members of
protected classes. The States of Oregon and California recently passed universal rent stabilization measures that
cap annual rent increases at 7% and 5% annually. Such stabilization measures are prohibited under
Massachusetts’ blanket ban on rent control, even at the local level.
Assessment: The state adds several important protected classes to the federal list. Notably, state law prohibits
discrimination against households using rental vouchers, though income discrimination remains common, both from
landlords who are unfamiliar with state law and those who choose to engage in that discrimination knowingly. A
lack of state protections does not appear to be a major barrier to fair housing access, though enforcement of the

31 https://www.arlingtonma.gov/departments/planning-community-development/economic-development/covid-19-business-resources

75
Arlington Fair Housing Action Plan

law (discussed ore below) is. Chapter 40B is an important way to encourage affordable housing in high-
opportunity areas, which can positively contribute to fair housing access.