By Geena Monahan-For the North Star Reporter
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s June 23 decision to strike a proposed statewide rent control question from November’s ballot may have ended one debate, but local housing officials say it does little to change the reality facing residents struggling to afford a place to live.
North Attleborough officials say the larger issue is a shortage of affordable housing, with demand far exceeding the number of available units.
“We have seen a steady increase in working families seeking housing assistance at the same time waiting lists far outpace our availability,” said Paula Mayville, executive director of the North Attleborough Housing Authority (NAHA).
The proposed ballot initiative would have limited annual rent increases to the Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever was lower. It also included several exemptions, including owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, newly constructed housing for the first 10 years and certain nonprofit, educational and religious housing.
The SJC ruled the measure could not appear on the November ballot because its exemption for religious housing violated the Massachusetts Constitution’s prohibition on ballot initiatives relating to religion.
The decision drew mixed reactions from housing organizations across the state.
Housing for Massachusetts, a coalition opposed to the ballot question, called the ruling a victory for housing production.
“While we firmly believe that Massachusetts voters were prepared to vote ‘no’ in November, the decision puts the issue to rest and protects our housing pipeline and our communities from the proven damage that rent control inflicts,” Conor Yunits, chair of the Housing for Massachusetts campaign committee, said in a statement.
The Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants, whose board endorsed the proposal before the ruling, said public housing residents supported rent control because they have seen neighbors and family members displaced by rising housing costs.
“We need rent control now,” Director of Organizing Zafiro Patiño said in a statement. “Massachusetts families deserve protections that keep housing affordable and prevent displacement so that everyone has the opportunity to remain in their communities.”
Although the proposal will no longer appear before voters, Mayville said a cap on annual rent increases could have benefited many waiting for public housing.
“Because we serve the lowest-income population, a cap would certainly help anyone on our waiting lists,” she said.
For Mayville, however, the court’s decision does little to change the housing challenges she sees every day.
“I have worked in this industry for over 30 years and I never thought I would see double-income earning families consistently struggle to meet rent obligations,” she said.
Mayville said NAHA regularly hears from elderly residents who have exhausted their savings trying to remain in private rental housing as rents continue to climb.
“At least weekly, we have an elderly applicant who indicates they have spent their entire savings, including 401(k), in order to keep up with rent increases to remain in their private rental as long as possible because the apartment was clean, safe and in a desirable location,” she said.
Demand for public housing has also grown dramatically in recent years.
Mayville said the state’s Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs, or CHAMP, has contributed to significantly larger waiting lists by allowing applicants to apply to multiple housing authorities through a single application.
North Attleborough’s waiting list now includes more than 30,000 applications, including more than 24,000 for NAHA’s 34 family units and more than 8,000 for its 226 elderly and disabled units. Because applicants can apply to multiple housing authorities, those figures represent applications rather than individual households.
The shortage of affordable housing has been a focus of North Attleborough officials for years.
According to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the town had 363 units on the state’s Subsidized Housing Inventory as of June 2023, representing 2.9% of its housing stock — well below the state’s 10% benchmark.
Affordable housing refers to income-restricted housing certified by the EOHLC and includes more than just Chapter 40B developments. It is not the same as the federal Section 8 voucher program.
Town Manager Michael Borg told the North Star Reporter last year that increasing that housing percentage is a long-term priority, both to expand affordable housing opportunities and give the town greater control over future Chapter 40B developments.
Borg said the town expects its affordable housing inventory to rise to about 5.5% once the approved 304-unit Kelley Boulevard development and proposed 40-unit Draper Avenue project are completed.
For Mayville, the need remains clear, regardless of what happens on Beacon Hill.
“I don’t believe there are enough affordable rentals in Massachusetts,” she said.