The Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership met Tuesday and discussed the possibility of a public forum with the League of Women Voters Newton (LWVN) to inform residents on the Massachusetts rent control ballot initiative.
The forum has yet to be approved, as it would require separate approval from the LWVN Board and League of Women Voters Massachusetts (LWVMA). LWVMA has directed that state-led informational forums on ballot questions will not be planned until late June or July, once the ballot slate is finalized.
The rent control proposal would cap rent increases in Massachusetts at 5 percent or the level of inflation—whichever is lower—and will be on the ballot during the upcoming November state elections.
Partnership member Grace Mitchell explained that she is concerned that the information about the ballot question has been incorrect and misleading at times, leading her to push for the public forum.
“I’m concerned personally that the information that I’m seeing about this measure is not all correct and is kind of misleading in a lot of cases,” Mitchell said. “And I feel like we can do something about that.”
The partnership aims to educate voters on the complex rent control ballot initiative by providing an unbiased presentation on the topic in the forum. The forum will feature experts from multiple sides of the issue and provide factual context through historical case studies to help residents make informed and thoughtful decisions, explained Mitchell.
The partnership unanimously approved a motion to collaborate with the League of Women Voters on the forum.
The event is intended to be a structured forum rather than a debate to keep the focus on objective sharing of information, explained partnership member Ann Houston.
“Part of the role of the partnership is to help make sure we’re making wise decisions, that people in Newton are in a position to make thoughtful decisions about housing issues,” Houston said.
The discussion then shifted to the Housing Priorities Task Force report, focusing on how the city can encourage developers to build larger, more affordable family units. Members suggested the city offer zoning bonuses or tax relief through Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT).
Member Steve West said that PILOTs are effective in helping the predictability of tax payments for affordable developments.
“If you got a PILOT that you said you’re going to pay 10 percent—done,” West said. “Now I know what I’m going to pay in taxes. It really works.”
Member Michael Lozano also noted that developers are often willing to provide higher affordability if the math makes sense for their projects. He mentioned that building larger units costs roughly $500 per square foot, which often outweighs the additional rent developers can collect.
“If you set the incentives correctly … that would get us what we want, a more diverse set of units, where a more diverse set of families could get affordable housing within Newton,” Lozano said. “It’s all math.”
To offset construction costs, Lozano suggested providing relief from Newton’s sewer connection and mitigation fees, which he claimed are “enormously higher” than in other communities. He argued that reducing fees would lower building costs to make cheaper housing possible without the city having to spend its own money.
The partnership then voted to send a letter to Newton Mayor Marc Laredo, highlighting the urgency of replacing recently retired ADA/Section 504 Coordinator Jini Fairley. Members argued that advocating for the position is essential for their work in maintaining a welcoming community, considering the partnership aims to ensure Newton remains a diverse and inclusive home for all residents.
“If we’re interested in a city that is open and welcoming, we have to actually invest in that,” Houston said. “I think we don’t want to just check a legal box. This is really about the kind of community that I want to be living in and that I’d like to support.”
(04/16/2026, 3:47 p.m.): An earlier version of this article inaccurately stated that the Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership approved a public forum with the Newton League of Women Voters on the rent control ballot initiative. The Partnership discussed the idea, but no approval was granted, as LWVN Board and LWVMA approval is required.
