Sargent Avenue tenants and those representing their interests rallied for protection measures to be implemented in favor of renters. — Photos courtesy of CAAS

More than 70 residents gathered at 22 Sargent Avenue in Somerville last Monday to urge legislative action on pending tenant protection measures and demand that real estate investor and landlord Ryan Pinto negotiate in good faith with his tenants.

The tenants are facing the threat of eviction and displacement following 55-90% rent increases demanded by Pinto after purchasing the building in February of this year. The rally was organized in partnership with the Community Action Agency of Somerville.

As the tenants at 22 Sargent Ave fight to stay in their homes, multiple bills that could have prevented this situation are once again languishing in the State House. Out-of-state investors continue to utilize no-fault evictions and unmitigated rent increases to purchase buildings, evict current tenants, and re-rent properties at significantly higher rates.

The situation at 22 Sargent Ave is emblematic of Massachusetts’ failure to protect tenants, and our local residents and economies that are bearing the brunt of the costs: A quarter of young professionals are planning to leave the Boston region within the next five years, with over 80% of respondents citing high cost of rent as an important factor in their decision.

Ward 4 City Councilor Jesse Clingan spoke at the tenants’ rally. “As a city councilor, it’s often difficult to explain to people that most of what we do is dictated by the state of Massachusetts,” Clingan said. “This is what will continue to happen until we have meaningful rent stabilization or rent control policies in place.”

Clingan was joined in speaking by three tenants from the building, including Michael Prentky, a local musician; Carlos Brum, a single father who immigrated to Massachusetts from Brazil and lives at 22 Sargent with his son; and Gary Rogers.

Other speakers included Elizabete Delfino, a member of the Somerville Renters Committee, who also faced displacement from her Somerville home of 29 years; Katie Fustich, the lawyer from De Novo Legal Services representing the tenants in their fight against Pinto; and Rehema Banks, who was previously evicted from her home in Wakefield by Pinto.

“It’s infuriating that we have gone through 6 months of instability and immense emotional stress because an outside investor from San Diego is depending on some low-income folks in Somerville to pay his mortgage,” said Prentky. “An eviction will permanently mark [my partner] and my record as tenants for the rest of our lives. That’s potentially decades as future tenants with this eviction on our records making it even harder to find housing.”

Prentky, who studied at the New England Conservatory and works as a music instructor and freelance trombonist, spoke only days after Somerville’s annual Porchfest event. Drawing on the talent of local musicians, the event draws thousands of attendees each year and generates significant revenue for local restaurants and businesses. As the threat of eviction and rising rent mounts across the state, the city may be witnessing the displacement of the very same artists it relies on for the event.

With just over two months left in the formal session of the Massachusetts Legislature, the window for action from our legislators is closing. But while there’s still time to act, the residents of Somerville will continue to push for the long-awaited passage of tenant protections, including the Housing Opportunity and Mobility through Eviction Sealing (HOMES Act), the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), the passage of the Somerville Home Rule Petition for rent stabilization, and a lift of the statewide ban on rent control. They are in good company; just two days after the Sargent Ave action, SEIU 1199 and the statewide Homes For All coalition organized the “Raise My Wage, Cap My Rent” rally at the State House, which drew dozens of community groups from across MA and hundreds of attendees advocating for many of the same actions.

-CAAS