Holyoke City Council voted to support rent stabliziation before SJC struck ballot question

The Holyoke City Council discusses a rent stabliziation resolution during its June 16 meeting.
Photo credit: Holyoke Media

HOLYOKE — As many residents express their struggles with rising costs and increasing rent, the Holyoke City Council approved a non-binding resolution during its June 16 meeting that supports rent stabilization to protect tenants and neighborhoods.

According to the resolution, the rapidly escalating costs in Holyoke have created profound instability for renters, putting seniors, essential workers, families with children, and other tenants at risk of displacement and housing insecurity.

The resolution states that residents across Holyoke cite housing affordability as a top concern. As of 2023, 47% of Holyoke renters are housing cost-burdened and spend 30% or more of their income on housing costs. Of those people, 23% are severely cost-burdened and pay 50% or more of their income to housing costs.

Residents and representatives from Neighbor 2 Neighbor filled the Holyoke City Council Chambers to speak during public comment in favor of the resolution. They also joined the Committee on Developmental and Governmental Relations on June 15 to express their struggles with affording a place to live due to the rapid increase in rent.

City Councilor Richard Purcell, who chairs the DGR committee, spoke in favor of the resolution that was proposed.

“We heard from many citizens in favor of the resolution and for good reason,” Purcell stated. “We’ve all heard all the people speak. The people have spoke in this chamber on three different occasions in favor of this resolution.”

Purcell also spoke to the people who oppose rent stabilization, including those speaking on behalf of the real estate industry that pledged $30 million to fight the recent ballot measure.

“What good could come of that $30 million by helping the people that are in need?” Purcell stated. “Is the greed going to win or is the need going to win? We need to make sure the need is met.”

The resolution stated that rent stabilization is the only policy that can make the rapid and broad impact necessary to mitigate widespread displacement and housing instability.

“A change in state law is necessary to address this urgent problem due to the current prohibition on rent stabilization policies in Massachusetts,” it says.

The resolution also included the modern rent stabilization policy that had been proposed as an initiative petition for the November 2026 ballot. The state Legislature is also considering legislation to enable local option rent stabilization.

After the Holyoke City Council made its vote on June 16, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a rent control ballot question cannot appear on this November’s ballot.

The court said the ballot question would have exempted religious facilities. According to the court’s decision, questions relating to religion are not allowed on state ballots.

City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, who voted in favor of the resolution, explained that although she supports the resolution, she could not back the part that included the rent control ballot measure because she is not in favor of such a measure.

“I don’t agree with the ballot question, and I think it’s really disappointing that this was all lumped into one resolution because it does sort of signal that maybe I’m voting in favor,” she explained. “I’m not sold on the ballot question, that doesn’t mean I’m not in favor of rent stabilization to protect tenants and protect neighborhoods.”

The non-binding resolution passed 11-2 and declares the City Council’s support for both “An Initiative Petition to Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases,” and “An Act Enabling Cities and Towns to Stabilize Rents and Protect Tenants.”

City Councilor Patty Devine said she was in favor of the resolution because something needs to change in terms of regulating the rising cost of rent.
“I’ll be honest with you, some of the people that spoke, it almost breaks your heart that the rents are becoming so high for people,” Devine said. “When I was growing up, we were told if you make X amount of money a week, that’s what your rent should be. Some of these people are probably going to have to make $3,000 a week just to afford that rent.”

City Councilor Jenny Rivera said after the fires happened in South Holyoke, many families had to relocate to a neighboring city because they could not find affordable rent.

She also shared that her mortgage is $1,100 for a two-family home. “When I’m watching and hearing on Facebook, there’s a two-bedroom apartment, the rents are like $2,300. It’s crazy,” she said.

The city clerk will send a copy of the resolution to the attorney general, all members of Holyoke’s delegation in the Massachusetts Legislature, the Senate president, the House Speaker of the Massachusetts State Legislature, the Holyoke mayor and the governor.