Neal Freiman

The proposal is pitting landlords against labor advocates, economists against policymakers, Democrats against Democrats, patriots against loyalists, and the entire country is watching.

One of the reasons this rivalry is so heated is that the proposal would be the strictest rent control anywhere in the United States.

It would prevent Massachusetts landlords from raising annual rents by more than the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower.

In other areas like California, Oregon, and Maryland, rent control is limited to the rate of inflation plus a little sugar on top.

It's a drastic plan that even split the state's two most powerful politicians, Governor Mara Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

Healey is against the rent control initiative, but Wu came out for it last week, saying, I'm not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

What no one disagrees about is Massachusetts and the Boston area in particular are facing a housing affordability crisis.

Rent prices are among the most expensive in the country.

Statewide, a two-bedroom apartment goes for about $25.60 a month, 74% above the national average.

In Boston, that spikes to nearly $3,400.

Toby, speaking as a Massachusetts native, can we just all come together and remember the real enemies here are Yankees fans?

Yeah, that's what Mara Healy, the governor, has been saying.

She said, if you look at the studies, you effectively halt production.

And that's because if landlords don't raise rents, then they can't collect enough money and then they won't put more money into building housing or maintaining certain properties.

So she points to this example in the Twin Cities, which we got over the past few years.

And the Twin Cities is kind of this

Nice natural experiment of what different policies can do to housing.

I'm talking about Minneapolis.

They did not have rent control.

They saw a rise in permits.