MTA delegates approve $1M commitment to support rent control ballot initiative campaign

BOSTON - Delegates at the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Annual Meeting voted on May 9 to commit $1 million of union funds to support the rent control ballot initiative in Massachusetts and mobilize members and staff around the campaign through November 2026.

“MTA members know that caring for our students means caring for their families," said MTA President Max Page. “The most basic kind of caring is helping families have stability in where they live. Rent control will help working-class families right away to get relief from the continuously growing burden of rising rent."

The funds will support the campaign being run by the Keep Massachusetts Home ballot committee, a coalition of labor, housing, faith and community organizations working to pass rent stabilization measures and address the state’s housing affordability crisis.

“The campaign for rent control in Massachusetts is in full swing, and we're grateful to the members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association for their deep commitment to our campaign to win basic protections against excessive rent hikes,” said Noemi “Mimi” Ramos, executive director of New England Community Project and chair of the Keep Massachusetts Home ballot campaign. “Grassroots housing groups, labor unions and community and faith-based organizations across Massachusetts are coming together to build a movement for housing justice.”

“From teachers and paraprofessionals to health care workers and grocery store clerks, essential workers are finding it increasingly hard to afford a home in Massachusetts — and something has to change,” Ramos added. “With three new polls over the past month showing massive voter support for rent control, our campaign continues to pick up momentum, and we're in a strong position to deliver a real win for housing affordability this year.” Polling was conducted by WWLP, Emerson College Polling and the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

Housing costs continue to strain working families across Massachusetts, including educators and school staff who are increasingly unable to afford to live in the communities where they work. Supporters of the initiative say rent stabilization would help prevent displacement, keep families in their homes and give communities more tools to address rising housing costs.

More than 1,500 Annual Meeting delegates voted to provide funding and support for the campaign as housing affordability remains one of the top economic issues facing educators and working families across Massachusetts.