Protesters gathered at the back of the Divine Theater in Holyoke on Wednesday during a press conference on the rent control ballot question that voters will decide later this year. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)
Rent‑control fight builds in Holyoke as statewide ballot question looms
Source: MassLive | By Aprell May Munford | [email protected] | Published: Feb. 25, 2026, 5:33 p.m. | Updated: Feb. 25, 2026, 8:31 p.m.
HOLYOKE — A statewide housing coalition and local tenant organizers clashed Wednesday over a proposed 2026 ballot initiative that would cap annual rent increases in Massachusetts, a clear division over how state should confront a deepening housing crisis.
The tension played out as Housing for Massachusetts, a business‑ and real‑estate–backed coalition, held a press conference in Holyoke to argue against the measure.
Outside, members of Springfield No One Leaves staged a protest, saying the ballot question is one of the few protections available to tenants facing sharp increases in rent.
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Advocates: rent caps are overdue
Outside the event, about 35 people gathered with Springfield No One Leaves to protest against the landlord- and business-driven effort to shoot down rent controls.
Organizers said the measure is necessary to curb sudden, extreme rent hikes that push families out of their homes. For example, about 16% of Hampden County residents spend 50% or more of their monthly earnings on housing; these are severely cost-burdened tenants, meaning they’re often sacrificing other essentials — food, medicine, clothing and car repairs — to pay their rent.
“We believe rent control is a step in the right direction when it comes to solutions to the housing crisis,” said Katie Talbot, organizing director for the group. “Currently in Massachusetts, landlords are able to increase rents however much they want annually. We’ve seen people hit with 25 to 100% increases. No one can absorb that.”
Talbot said the group hears from tenants forced to take on multiple jobs or leave their communities altogether.
There is a state bill that would let cities and towns adopt rent control locally and cap annual rent increases at 10%, but the legislation “hasn’t moved anywhere at the State House,” despite being filed for four consecutive sessions, Talbot said.
Because lawmakers have not advanced the measure, she said members of the Homes for All campaign moved forward with the statewide ballot initiative instead.
At Wednesday’s protest, Talbot said local officials did not appear moved by the demonstration.
“They just don’t think we need to put any cap on how much profit the landlord can make,” she said, adding that anti‑rent‑control organizers and several elected officials dismissed concerns raised by tenants.
“Housing is a human basic need, like food, water and air; shelter is a part of that,” she said. “For far too long, we have put landlords’ right to make a profit over our right to housing.”
She also noted that landlord‑aligned groups have committed $30 million to fighting the ballot measure.
“Can you imagine how much housing we could build with $30 million?” she said.
Organizers: Lack of rent control deepens inequity
Joseph Bonilla, a community organizer and board member at Springfield’s chapter of Neighbor2Neighbor, said the consequences of unchecked rent increases fall disproportionately on Black, Latino, and low‑income residents in cities like Holyoke and Springfield.
“When we talk about not having rent control, what happens is we are controlling access — who gets to live here and who gets pushed out,” Bonilla said. “We are living in a housing crisis and an economic crisis, and to not address that is a huge problem.”
