Hundreds of tenants from across Massachusetts descended on Beacon Hill Tuesday to show their support for rent stabilization legislation, which proponents see as a crucial tool to tackle the housing affordability crisis and prevent residents from being displaced from their communities.
Their early afternoon rally on the Grand Staircase came just ahead of a Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government hearing that features a Sen. Pat Jehlen bill (S 1447) that would enable cities and towns to limit rent hikes to the rate of inflation and with a cap of 5%. It also bans no-fault evictions.
Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat who was joined by Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, asked ralliers to raise their hands if they think Massachusetts has a housing “emergency.”…