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- đ The rent control debate for dummies
đ The rent control debate for dummies
Plus: đ˘ RIP Spencer
It's Thursday, Boston.
âď¸ Only 17 more days until my serotonin levels come out of hibernation, a.k.a., 17 days until Daylight Saving Time.
đ Whatâs on tap today:
Bostonâs nightlife hopes
RIP Spencer
A ChatGPT IPA
Up firstâŚ
HOUSING
The rent control debate for dummies
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Illustration: Katie Cole
Bostonâs rent control debate starts now. The City held its first public hearing on Mayor Wuâs plan calling for rent stabilization this week, opening public discussion on a hot-button issue thatâs been a core part of her campaign. Hereâs where weâre at:
đ To recap: Mayor Wu recently filed a home-rule petition that would limit how much landlords could hike rent on returning tenants. The plan would cap annual rent increases at 6% plus inflation, maxing out at 10% during high-inflation years. So if the cityâs Consumer Price Index was 2% one year (tbt), the plan would cap rent increases at 8%.
đ But there are some exceptions. Small owner-occupied properties (like triple deckers) and new construction in the first 15 years wouldnât have to follow these rules. So the plan would impact about half of Bostonâs rental units.
đĄ Some think it doesnât do enough. While rent control can be a touchy subject, experts consider Wuâs plan to be pretty modest compared with Mass.â previous rent control laws that were banned in 1994. Rebekha Stovell, an organizer with New England United for Justice, shared in the hearing that she thinks the rent control cap should be at 5%, not 10%, and that the 15-year exemption for new buildings should be brought down to five years to actually have an impact on communities.
đď¸ Some think it will make the housing crisis worse. Opponents argue it will decrease the already low housing supply (making rent more expensive) and that landlords wonât make enough money to make proper updates to units. And the ânoâ side is going hard on this, as the Greater Boston Real Estate Board just launched a $400,000 marketing blitz to convince Boston residents that this proposal will only aggravate the housing crisis.
đ But one thing is for certain: There is support for some kind of rent control. A 2021 survey found that more than 59% of Boston voters would âstronglyâ support rent control to prevent landlords from raising rents too much.
đ Whatâre your thoughts? The city will be hosting a community feedback session on March 2 where the public is welcome to voice their opinions on the proposal.
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
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Image of Corean Reynolds via the City of Boston. Illustration: Katie Cole
đ Introducing Bostonâs nightlife leader. Corean Reynolds has been tapped for what might be the most interesting city job Iâve ever heard of: director of nightlife economy. Sheâll be responsible for sprucing up Bostonâs relatively buttoned up late-night scene. In a press conference, she said her priorities lie in increasing nightlife options throughout all neighborhoods and improving after hours transportation. Just donât get too excited about happy hour drink specials coming back.
đś Spencer has gone to doggy heaven. The official dog of the Boston Marathon known for holding a âBoston Strongâ flag in his mouth passed away last week after another difficult battle with cancer. Rain or shine, you could usually spot him near Ashland State Park around mile 3 on the course for the last nine years. But this year, youâll just see Penny, Spencerâs four-legged sister, who will be on the course to carry out his legacy. And I am unwell after watching his tribute video.
đ Looking for a Cape house? Youâre in luck. Local booking sites are reporting more availability for Cape Cod rentals right now than during the same time last year â even during the busiest weeks. One rental booking property says theyâre about 60% booked as of now compared to 80% to 85% booked this time last year. Thereâs no one clear reason why, but it's likely a mix of more short-term rentals on the market, thanks to people who bought second homes during the pandemic, and more people venturing beyond Mass. for vacation now that COVID has declined.
đş Artificial intelligence made Night Shift Brewingâs newest beer. Kind of. Night Shiftâs staff asked ChatGPT to come up with everything from the recipe, to the name, to the beer label itself. And now theyâre introducing A-IPA (ha!), a 7.5% Hazy IPA with notes of mango, orange pith, and pine. You can get it in cans now at the Everett taproom and at the Lovejoy Wharf location later this week. Their team filmed the creation process which you can watch here. Itâs really cool, but also kind of terrifying.
ONE LAST THING
Kowloon kicks
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Image courtesy of the Kowloon.
Shoes based on your favorite Rt. 1 restaurant? Say less.
Kowloon, Saugusâ iconic 73-year-old Asian restaurant, released a run of 100 limited edition custom Nike sneakers. The shoes, pictured above, were dreamed up by Kowloon co-owner Bob Wong and hand-painted by sneaker artist JosuĂŠ Mendez.
If you were hoping to snag a pair for yourself, youâre out of luck for now. The sneakers went for $495 and were sold out within three days. But Wong is planning a second run with the profits going to charity.
đ Thanks for reading! $20 says I find these shoes on Facebook Marketplace listed for $1,000.
đ Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].