From new housing developments, rent control news, election updates, and more - the RHA wants to keep our members informed of the latest local headlines. Read up on the latest headlines & news articles from the past few weeks below and stay tuned for weekly recaps every Friday.
● September 28: “South Portland Council pushes rent control talks to next year”
The City Council has pushed talks about establishing a rent stabilization ordinance to January 10, 2023 in attempts to continue further discussions on the nuanced topic.
Under the proposed rent stabilization ordinance, landlords could “increase rents once each year at a rate up to 7 percent, plus inflation.” It would include exemptions for “rents at or below federal fair market rates; apartments less than 16 years old; landlords with fewer than 11 apartments; as well as certain nonprofits, care facilities, schools, single-room occupancies and accessory dwelling units.”
Councilor Misha Pride stated: “I appreciate the council deliberating on this, even though I don’t support rent control because I think there are too many unintended consequences.” When asked to specify on the problems attributed to rent control, Pride said “it discourages rental housing development, increases condo conversions and encourages landlords to raise rents to the maximum each year.”
Read the full article here.
● September 28: “Watch: Newsroom Live on Short-Term Rentals”
RHA President, Brit Vitalius, recently joined a panel hosted by the Portland Press Herald as part of their "Newsroom LIVE" series to discuss both Question A and Question B on the ballot this November. Listen in on this important conversation to learn more about both referendum questions and the impact they would have on the City of Portland. This is also a valuable educational resource to share with other community members or tenants! More detailed information on Question A + Question B is also available in the September 26 headline.
Watch the conversation here.
● September 26: “Pair of Portland referendums offer competing proposals for regulating short-term rentals”
Learn more about Question A + Question B in this breakdown by the Portland Press Herald. In summary, Question A, proposed by a group of short-term rental operators, seeks to limit corporate owners from registering short-term rentals. Question B, one of the questions proposed by the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, would reduce the number of short-term rentals. Both questions are being opposed by the “Enough is Enough” campaign.
Read the full article here.
● September 21: “Here's a closer look at the Portland Charter Commission proposals”
News Center Maine recaps the 13 referendum questions on the ballot this November. This recap also explains some of the criticisms surrounding the referendum questions, focusing in most on the backlash on Question 2 - which advocates for creating a “strong mayor” form of government, putting the mayor in charge as the chief executive of the city.
Read the full article here.
