GREENFIELD — Feeling frustrated with ever-increasing rents and inspired after seeing renters band together for change in Easthampton, Greenfield resident Kat Miller is inviting community members to join her in forming a Greenfield Tenants Union.
Gathering at the Greenfield Public Library earlier this week, residents heard from organizers of the Easthampton Tenants Union about tenants’ rights, rent control and how renters can work together to advocate for fair housing terms.
“I’m a born-and-raised Greenfield resident,” Miller told the dozens of attendees. “Back in November, my landlord sent me a text message saying, ‘Your rent is going up 20% in January.'”
Miller said she subsequently started doing research into what she could do to fight back against such a large increase. Though she requested to receive a written notice of the rent increase, she did not immediately receive one, and continued paying the old rent amount.
“He finally sent a letter, and it said rent was now going up 40%,” Miller recounted.
Miller said she has refused to pay the increase and has been served with a notice to quit. She is still living in the duplex, and while she waits to see how her landlord responds, she wanted to learn more about what tenants can do to protect themselves.
Representatives of the Easthampton Tenants Union, such as Ilene Roizman and Kelley Hutchins, told similar stories.
Roizman shared that after her apartment complex was sold, she and her neighbors began receiving notices of increases of up to 50%.
“I’ve lived in Easthampton for 15 years. In August, I received a notice to quit and a new offer of residency with a 54% increase,” Hutchins said. “Where do you come up with an extra $500?”
After researching tenant rights and rental laws, and connecting with neighbors, Roizman and the Easthampton Tenants Union were able to negotiate that increase down to 7.5%.
“We started learning what our rights are and we started learning what the laws are,” Roizman said. “We didn’t hit the ground running, but you can. We can show you how. There’s a lot you can do as tenants.”
Easthampton Tenants Union representatives shared information on the proposed rent control initiative, which, pending gaining enough signatures, will ask voters in November to approve capping annual rent increases at 5%. They said that 5% should allow landlords to still be able to cover any increased expenses associated with a property, while allowing renters to maintain disposable income and not have to give more and more to landlords.
By banding together and creating a tenants union, Greenfield residents hope to gain a better understanding of state law for rent increases, eviction and property repairs that landlords must follow, and advocate for affordable, livable housing.
Miller said she was excited to see how many people attended Monday’s meeting at the library, and she hopes to keep the momentum going. A second meeting has not yet been scheduled, but she hopes to begin having more regular meetings in June and develop a newsletter to share information about tenants’ rights.
“We need to gather people and start meeting. If we can get there, we can achieve anything,” she said. “Organizing is a superpower. Knowing your neighbors and working with them is huge.
For more information, people can contact Miller at greenfieldtenantsunion@gmail.com. The Greenfield Tenants Union also maintains Facebook and Instagram pages.
Landlords Business Association
Just days before the Greenfield Tenants Union gathering, about 20 members of the Landlords Business Association met at the Greenfield Elks Lodge to discuss ways to defeat the proposed rent control initiative.
Doug Quattrochi, executive director of MassLandlords, spoke at length about the issue and provided his perspective on how the ballot question could harm good landlords and good renters.
“This is the biggest policy challenge in recent memory,” he said. “The people who write the laws don’t necessarily have good intentions.”
Quattrochi said rent control could cripple landlords, who will have less money to pay for necessary repairs and maintenance. He also said it could ultimately cause landlords to lose their properties.
The featured speaker said polls suggest that 60% of state voters are currently in favor of the ballot question, while 40% are opposed.
“Nobody thinks about the complexity of it,” he said. “Rent control has lots of unintended consequences.”
Stanley Kromack, who said he is approaching 50 years as a lawyer and 35 years as the Landlords Business Association’s legal counsel, gave Quattrochi a $500 check to help fight rent control. The Landlords Business Association donated $2,000 for the same purpose.
