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Residents flood Holyoke council chamber urging rent stabilization; resolution sent to committee
Summary
Dozens of residents and homeowners urged the Holyoke City Council to back state-level rent stabilization during an extended public-comment period. Councilors then took up a resolution urging support for rent stabilization and voted to send it to the Development & Government Relations committee for further work.
Dozens of residents, tenants and homeowners told the Holyoke City Council on June 2 that rising rents are jeopardizing families, neighborhood stability and longtime residency.
“Renters make more than 60% of Holyoke,” said Janette Rivera, a community organizer with Neighbor to Neighbor, who described frequent moves, unsafe housing and large yearly increases she said make it impossible for many families to stay. James Lewis, a Ward 3 resident, said he supports the rent-stabilization initiative proffered by Councilor Purcell and described being in the process of filing for bankruptcy, stressing that rising housing costs had left him little hope of homeownership.
The testimony stretched across the public-comment portion of the meeting and included tenants displaced from condemned buildings, owners of multifamily properties who nonetheless supported limits on excessive increases, and nonprofit workers who said affordability contributes to community stability. Several speakers urged the council to back a state-level policy allowing local rent-stabilization tools.
After the public-comment period the council took up Item 57, a resolution filed by Councilors Purcell and Toheimer that would declare the council’s support for rent stabilization to protect tenants and neighborhoods. Council debate focused on procedure — whether to vote on the resolution immediately or refer it to committee for more study and amendments — and on substance: some councilors said they wanted to move the matter forward tonight; others urged a committee review to craft language and analyze local impacts.
The council ultimately voted to refer the resolution to the Development & Government Relations (DGR) committee so members can refine the proposal and hold further hearings. The referral followed public appeals from multiple wards and several speakers who described unsafe or unaffordable housing, including tenants displaced from a condemned building on High Street who said they were paying upwards of $1,650 for substandard units.
The DGR committee will now schedule follow-up discussions that may include staff presentations, additional public comment and possible drafting of a local ordinance or formal resolution to send to the Legislature or otherwise guide local implementation.
Next steps: DGR will review the resolution language, hear additional testimony and report back to full council.
