Earlier this spring, the Boston City Council Committee on Government Operations held a public hearing on the "Jim Brooks Stabilization Act", also known as the "Just Cause Eviction Bill”. The Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) testified against the bill before Committee which would restrict property rights of homeowners while granting rights to tenants who have no title or ownership interest in the units where they reside. As drafted, GBREB asserts that the Brooks Act will have a negative affect on property values, lead to a significant reduction in capital investment in apartment and multi-family housing production, and is largely unnecessary since Massachusetts law already affords tenants some the strongest protections available.
During a subsequent working session, the Committee discussed narrowing the bill to focus on three goals: to educate tenants on their rights, to ask landlords to notify the City regarding evictions and, to improve data collection on evictions in the City.
The Committee also discussed bifurcation of the Brooks Act into a local Right’ Ordinance and a Notification Home Rule petition. The local city rights ordinance would take effect upon passage by the council and approval by the Mayor. It would require a landlord to serve a ‘City Rights Notice’ along with a notice-to-quit, non-renewal or notice that a fixed term lease will expire. The City notice would include information as to “basic housing rights and resources” and contacts for tenants’ right organizations. The City Termination Notice Home Rule petition would be passed by the Council and sent to the State House for further consideration. The second bill would require a change in state law before taking effect. If the bill is approved by the Council Representative Chyna Tyler had indicated she would sponsor the bill.
The Council could either refer these matters to committee for a public hearing or suspend the rules and vote to approve them at the next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, August 23. Watch future issues of the GBAR Informer for any new developments and updates on this issue.