Keller @ Large: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu defends controversial rent control proposal
BOSTON – Mayor Michelle Wu defended her rent control proposal that has drawn opposition from the real estate industry, but also some members of her own party who say the plan doesn't go far enough.
Wu spoke about the proposal during a conversation with WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller.
"I think we can all acknowledge that the status quo is not working," Wu said. "Families are getting pushed out of our city at an alarming rate, housing prices are among the highest anywhere in the nation, and the majority of Bostonians are renters. So we need not only all of our efforts to create affordable housing, go after sustainable funding like the transfer fee, ensure that we're boosting homeownership, but also protect residents right now in this immediate period from emergency displacement. That is what our proposal does."
Wu's proposal is currently up for discussion in Boston City Council meetings.
"It is meant to put guardrails and prevent price gouging, which we've seen as an unsustainable, unnecessary rent increase at the scale of 10%, 50% that some of our neighborhoods have been experiencing over the last couple years," Wu said. "We're not going to stop until we are in a place where families from very income level, people from every background feel safe, welcome, and can afford to stay. We are a ways from that now."
Keller @ Large: Part 2