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By Joseph A. Curtatone

The Greater Boston housing crisis is a complex problem that will require a variety of approaches to fix. In Somerville, we’ve been taking steps like building more housing, adopting our 20% inclusionary housing requirement, establishing a community land trust, opening our Office of Housing Stability, and enacting new regulations that will help keep more housing units on the market. But many of these steps will take time to have a broad impact, and we need to help the many people struggling to pay their rent now.

That’s why earlier this month I voiced my support for a new approach to rent control. I’m supporting a bill filed by Representatives Mike Connolly and Nika Elugardo that would allow cities and towns to adopt tenant and foreclosure protections, including rent stabilization rules. Let me be clear from the beginning: this is not the rent control that was voted out in the 1990s. It’s an option for a better version of rent control that works for our community – both renters and landlords.

Representative Connolly and Elugardo’s bill, if passed, would allow cities and towns adopt the parts of it that make sense for them and set policies that work in each community. If given the option, I want Somerville to seriously consider rent stabilization that would cap how much landlords could raise rents each year. But before enacting anything, we need to hear from tenants, landlords, activists, developers – anyone with a stake – to make sure we come up with rules that work for Somerville.

The old system of rent control didn’t work. It often resulted in undervalued properties and didn’t provide enough incentive for landlords to maintain or update their properties. We want to ensure that residents can both afford housing and have a safe, well-maintained home. If a landlord sells, we want them to get a fair return on their investment. We also know that there are landlords who depend on rental income, and we don’t want to undercut anyone’s livelihood. But the reality is that the greater Boston area’s housing crisis is at emergency levels and we need to look at immediate steps we can take to counteract it.

Along with stabilizing tenant’s rents, rent stabilization also helps stabilize the community. Nearly 40% of renters in Somerville are paying 30% or more of their income toward housing costs. Long-term, that’s not sustainable, and often doesn’t leave room in the household budget for a large rent increase. By limiting how much a tenant’s rent can increase each year, we can prevent more people from being priced out while also making sure landlords can make enough money to cover expenses.

Far too often I hear from residents who want to stay in Somerville, but for a variety of reasons they are struggling – often with their rent. For some, their family is expanding and they need more room. Others are happy where they are but have been hit with rents rising faster than their income. When a significant portion of your income is already going toward housing, it’s hard to save up to cover the costs of moving to a new unit or to afford to move into a larger rental unit or to buy a home. Often those residents and families – including kids who want to stay in our schools – end up moving out of Somerville. If we can help keep housing costs in check, more people will have the option to stay in Somerville and continue to be a part of this community.

We want to do whatever we can, as quickly as we can, to help residents struggling to afford housing, but we also want to make sure we get it right. This is just the beginning of the conversation on rent stabilization. If Representatives Connolly and Elugardo’s bill is passed, there will be many opportunities to ask questions and share your ideas. I look forward to this important discussion.