Rent Stabilization Act

A property manager of 100+ buildings said the ordinance functions as rent control, will discourage investment, and cited a $10–17 million cost estimate.

The RI AFL-CIO political director voiced full support, saying unpredictable rent increases erase workers' wage gains.

A two-family owner raised confusion about the owner-occupied exemption if he adds units, and questioned the two-property exemption structure.

A community health worker with Sista Fire described mold, roaches, and lead in clients' apartments and said immigrant families fear landlord retaliation.

Argued the ordinance does nothing to increase supply and that the 15% rehabilitation threshold will delay repairs and worsen housing quality.

A Sista Fire organizer from Ward 11 supported the amendments, praising the July anniversary date and board member pay.

Testified for the RI Coalition of Housing Providers that the amendments make the ordinance worse and would cost the city millions.

A small landlord with a triple-decker supported the ordinance, saying Providence is becoming unaffordable for young workers.

A property manager of about 1,500 units opposed the ordinance, urging decisions based on evidence rather than emotion.

Testified in Spanish and English about her rent doubling over six years amid mold and heating problems, in support of the ordinance.

A Ward 15 resident opposed the amendments, criticizing regulation of Section 8 units and board member pay compared to council salaries.

Cited 24,000+ eviction filings since 2017 and said tenants in every ward need protections; supported the ordinance.

A Broadway resident opposed the ordinance, saying she found no feasibility studies supporting rent control and warned of declining property values and tax base.

DARE's executive director strongly supported the amendments, citing Providence's ranking as the least affordable metro for renters and 40% rent growth since 2020.

A RI Association of Realtors representative opposed the ordinance, citing homelessness and eviction data from California.

AFT Local 6516's political director supported the ordinance on behalf of 2,000+ Brown University workers whose raises are eaten by rising rents.

A landlord said the ordinance would punish landlords who keep rents below market, describing a long-term tenant paying $1,125 for a three-bedroom.

A Vernon Street tenant since 2012 whose rent rose 50% supported the ordinance, saying tenants deserve predictable limits like fixed mortgages.

A 40-year landlord opposed the ordinance, saying it will force 4% increases every year and suggesting targeted subsidies instead.

A property manager since 1969 cited the city charter's balanced-budget requirements and warned the ordinance will reduce tax revenue.

A realtor and housing provider said the 15% rehabilitation threshold is financially unviable, citing a 67-year payback example.

A small owner-occupant landlord in Ward 3 opposed the ordinance, arguing the board's fine-funded enforcement lacks checks and balances.

A Warwick-based housing provider said cutting the new-construction exemption to 10 years will send developers to other cities.

A small landlord and coalition member opposed the ordinance, calling rent stabilization a failed policy that discourages investment.

A landlord since 1972 opposed the ordinance, saying a 4% cap will guarantee maximum increases every year and reduce housing supply.

Asked committee members to silently imagine their day if rent stabilization passed, in support of the ordinance.

Raised pointed claims about who authored the ordinance and its funders, saying an investigation is coming.

A Ward 3 resident supported the ordinance, noting one in four residents is elderly or disabled and families are one increase from losing homes.

Reclaim RI's executive director supported the ordinance and noted many opponents don't live in Providence.

An artist and Ward 11 resident who has experienced homelessness supported the ordinance, calling it a life-saving compromise.

An immigrant investor of 30 years cited Massachusetts rent control's repeal and said he will not invest another penny in Providence if it passes.

A Ward 13 resident challenged landlord profitability claims, arguing a 4% cap would reduce extraordinary returns to merely excellent ones.

A veteran and small landlord described his history building a sober house and opposed the ordinance, citing tenant disputes and costs.

A developer of low-income and Section 8 housing said a similar bill would have cost him his life savings and will push mid-size landlords to sell to corporations.

A Providence firefighter, realtor, and father opposed the ordinance again, saying it adds control and bureaucracy rather than creating housing.

A Providence-born firefighter and housing provider read scripture and argued the ordinance restricts supply, urging rejection and durable, growth-oriented solutions.

A Ward 5 tenant with considerate landlords contrasted her current stability with prior 21% increases and opaque lease renewals, urging a yes vote.

An architect designing 100+ Providence units warned that lenders won't finance projects under rent stabilization, stalling construction and jobs.

A URI public health professor presented research linking $100 rent increases to 28% rises in unsheltered homelessness and argued the current ordinance is moderate and carefully structured.

A small landlord with two three-family houses argued expenses aren't capped while rents would be, calling the policy 'against the American dream.'

A Ward 3 renter described mold, Airbnb conversions, and $2,000+ rents in poor condition at a Strive-owned building, urging passage as one piece of a broader strategy.

A Palestinian-American property owner who raised rents only 0.7% in three years argued the ordinance punishes responsible small owners and conflicts with state ADU policy by regulating new attic/basement units from day one.

A Ward 2 owner-occupant landlord who never raises rent on his tenants argued renters deserve the same predictability homeowners get, and that the ordinance won't stop building.

An East Side apartment owner cited economic consensus that rent control reduces supply and quality, and predicted owners would take the max 4% increase annually.

A South Providence tenant and homeless advocate said rent burden and shelter overflow are the same crisis, urging protection of families who built the city.

A retired two-family homeowner who worked five jobs to buy his house called the bill a blank check, an attack on capitalism, and a threat to his retirement income.

A Ward 13 tenant and small business owner framed the debate as whether housing is an asset or infrastructure, arguing the cost of inaction is already visible in deaths and displacement.

A small landlord with one condo unit said she charges below-market rent and asked the committee to work with small landlords on alternatives rather than group them with large operators.

A Ward 11 Sistifier organizer described queer and trans youth of color being pushed to Pawtucket and Woonsocket, urging passage to keep residents housed.

An owner-occupied small landlord from a neighboring city said a 4% cap would leave him absorbing tax increases his tenant currently shares, calling the policy unfair.

A Brown history professor and Reclaim RI member challenged the St. Paul studies cited by opponents as methodologically flawed and unpublished, urging the committee to weigh evidence carefully.

Drew a parallel to Providence's 1989 pension cost-of-living adjustments, arguing a compounding 4% rent cap could similarly bankrupt the city.

A former Fox Point tenant displaced by a building sale said the bill is too limited but still vital, urging passage and a fuller rent freeze.

A Providence firefighter/EMT described families skipping medication to pay rent and cited the deaths near Miriam Hospital, urging support for the ordinance's enforcement tools.

A South Side renter, actor, and recovery worker said housing stability is foundational to recovery and called rent stabilization a step toward broader housing justice.

SEIU 1199NE's political director said rent spikes erase wage gains for 3,000 Providence healthcare workers, destabilizing hospitals, home care, and childcare.

A RI Association of Realtors representative called for collaboration between the city, nonprofits, and housing advocates rather than demonizing small landlords.

An immigrant landlord and nonprofit worker urged both sides to come together on common-sense solutions rather than a policy she said hasn't worked anywhere.

A Ward 13 renter argued the landlord-tenant power imbalance undermines democracy and said the rent board would bring needed public oversight.

A Ward 13 renter and tenant union organizer described living without hot water and paying market rate, saying the rent board is needed to force code compliance.

A small landlord with seven units in Wards 1–3 argued rent control shrinks the available housing pool and hurts the most vulnerable, drawing on his family member's homelessness experience.

A Ward 3 homeowner cited the two neighbors who froze to death near Miriam Hospital and urged the council to act with courage and pass stabilization.

A Ward 4 resident argued the real choice is stabilization versus the failed status quo, and called out landlords' threats to raise rents as proof of the problem.

A Federal Hill small landlord who renovates derelict buildings at below-market rents warned the ordinance would end his investment and push renovators out of the city.

A lifelong resident, small business owner, and PSL member who once paid 90% of income in rent argued the cap doesn't go far enough and housing must be a human right.

Cited research linking high rents to 75% of evictions and higher neighborhood crime, and Providence's 24,000 evictions since 2020, urging passage.

A Spanish-speaking homeowner described tenants not paying rent for months and courts siding with tenants, asking the committee to consider homeowners too.

A landlord said the council is dividing Providence by raising taxes and fees, and warned the five-member rent commission would concentrate too much power.

A Ward 14 resident and lead poisoning prevention organizer highlighted the provision barring rent increases on units with code violations as a safety incentive.

A Ward 7 homeowner said too many residents are rent-burdened and called the 4% cap reasonable and prudent.

President of a Brown University workers' union (Local 6516) described members facing $300/month renewal hikes and urged passage, noting RI AFL-CIO support.

A small East Side landlord who rents her triple decker's first floor below market said regulation is needed because the free market isn't producing affordable housing.

A rehab investor warned the bill would decimate immigrant construction workers' incomes, since his rental revenue went directly to immigrant tradespeople.

A Ward 5 first-time homeowner who once lived in a rent-stabilized unit said stability built community, and suggested taxing Brown University if revenue is the concern.

Director of the Olneyville Neighborhood Association said the city needs both housing and rent control, especially for immigrant tenants fearing retaliation.

A Ward 10 homeowner with Health Forward Partnership presented public health research showing rent stabilization benefits health and cited Portland, Maine's steady production.

A housing provider argued the 15-year exemption won't protect values, units will decay, and vulnerable renters will be excluded, urging supply-focused solutions instead.

A 33-year-old builder who rose from homelessness to build 30 Providence homes cited Portland, Maine's tax base decline and urged building ladders, not limits.

A Ward 12 small landlord with four units said she's already seeing softer rents as new supply arrives and asked the city to fix zoning and give the market a chance.

A rehab investor noted 70% of Providence rentals are held by owners of three or fewer buildings and said the ordinance would force good landlords to raise rents 4% yearly.

A RIC social work student interning at Amos House described hundreds of repeat rental-assistance seekers and urged passage as a preventive measure.

A Ward 14 teacher spoke for her priced-out father and grandmother, criticized corporate landlords ('Striveville'), and asked for a unit-count limit on exemptions.

A Ward 5 PhD candidate and former homelessness housing specialist cited RI's second-highest chronic homelessness rate and urged stabilization, just-cause eviction, and public housing.

The city CFO warned of $500K+ annual administration costs and potential property tax revenue losses of $1.9M–$17.5M, urging the committee to consult administration experts before any vote.

Owner of one three-family as his retirement investment said vacancy resets would be barred, forcing him to raise rents 4% yearly, and proposed amendments exempting small landlords.

Of the 02908 Club (400+ units), warned of impacts on trades workers, more selective tenant screening, and suggested board funds go to rental assistance instead.

A Ward 14 resident described friends self-evicting after large hikes and an artist forced to leave the city, urging passage.

A Ward 12 triple-decker owner who works on buildings for a living supported the ordinance and asked for small-landlord repair loan support alongside it.

A Ward 8 renter on Chapin Avenue directly urged Councilor James Taylor to change his position and champion affordability for his constituents.

Reclaim RI's organizing director noted no renter without property spoke against the bill, shared tenant stories, and told undecided councilors they 'do not get to stay neutral.'

A Fox Point renter described corporate landlords dominating Ward 1 with Brown-student tenancies and said stabilization restores accountability and community.

A South Providence native supported the ordinance and proposed amendments: tie the 15-year exemption to truly affordable construction, allow documented emergency cost pass-throughs, and avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks.

A Ward 2 state housing policy worker calculated the status quo would take 96 years to close the affordability gap and urged resisting pressure to add exemptions.

Rebutted opposition talking points on St. Paul, property values, and New Jersey data, and cited a 50% Parade Street rent hike and three deaths from exposure this winter.

A local housing developer said RI builds fewer homes per capita than any state and that investors are already pulling back from Providence due to the rent control headline.

A property owner exempt from the ordinance cited economist consensus against rent control and his NYC family's experience of wealthy tenants holding $1,300 regulated apartments.

A Federal Hill renter making ~$80K said even he can't afford the $2,100 median rent and pushed back on landlords' expense complaints.

A 60-year family property business owner who already sold most holdings over historic-preservation costs worried the ordinance would change who can own property.

A Samson Realty co-owner with 33 years in the business argued there's no housing shortage, only a positional one, cited falling rents, and predicted a losing lawsuit in Boston courts.

A Ward 2 renter argued you treat acute symptoms while pursuing long-term cures, and asked the council to choose people over profits.

A Providence-raised finance and building professional argued supply and demand are the root issue and urged the committee to pause and engage all stakeholders.

The housing director acknowledged the affordability crisis but urged caution, citing St. Paul's 80% drop in permits and arguing targeted rental assistance is more effective.

Longtime rent control opponent argued the policy has become 'a religion' immune to facts, and criticized the City Council's Facebook page as one-sided propaganda.

A Ward 3 teacher and Sistifier member priced out of two homes in six years said the 4% cap would give tenants time to find alternatives, and tied rent burden to the teacher shortage.

A former Providence investor and Woonsocket mayoral candidate argued the free market is already lowering prices and criticized the ordinance's vague 'fair return' definition.

A Sistifier organizer described a 40% rent increase, black mold, a retaliatory eviction notice, and sleeping in her car, urging passage without weakening the ordinance.

A small landlord since 1989 said her six-unit Fox Point property pays $24,000 in taxes while expenses rose 12.5% annually — far above the 4% cap — and urged the city to address abuses, not penalize good landlords.

A Sistifier member leader presented findings from 40+ interviews showing members spending 40–70% of income on rent, describing displacement, health harms, and corporate landlord consolidation.

Argued compounding 4% increases would exceed observed hikes, criticized city litigation costs, and warned against relying on landlords as the city's revenue stream.

A Ward 13 Sistifier member supported the 4% cap, code-compliance condition, and complaint process, but asked the council to reconsider the January 1 anniversary date, voter-qualification for board members, and the 15-year exemption.

A landlord of 40+ years said the ordinance would force her to raise rents 4% yearly on long-term tenants she'd otherwise not raise, and worried about maintaining her historic property.

A Ward 13 renter argued the market has failed, called rent stabilization 'a stay of execution,' and urged going further with a rent freeze and public ownership of housing.

A Ward 2 resident argued the root problem is a vacancy rate emergency (2.6–3.2%), cited Austin's building-driven rent declines, and called rent control a NIMBY policy that would push builders elsewhere.

A Ward 5 Sistifier member described a $1,000/month (51%) rent hike with no recourse, and the grueling home-buying search that followed, urging passage.

A realtor and president of NAHREP Providence argued Providence has a supply problem, not a pricing problem, and that the ordinance would accelerate consolidation by pushing out small owners.

Co-chair of Reclaim RI described gentrification in Mount Hope, disputed the St. Paul example, and cited a URI poll showing 72% statewide support.

NARI Providence's government affairs director warned rent control would deter investors, raise barriers for first-time buyers, and could trigger a housing crash.

A disabled veteran described a 125% rent increase after gaining custody of his two teenage sons and falling behind on rent.

Argued 50 years of ~4,000% tax increases drove rent increases, and that the ordinance violates the charter's balanced-budget-by-expense-reduction requirement.

A Ward 1 tenant argued landlords' warnings were 'threats' and that renters' safety and dignity should be prioritized over profit, urging a yes vote.

Owner of a 1930 seven-unit building on Waterman Street with rents of $865–$1,900 said rate caps could hasten a sale or teardown, eliminating her affordable units.

A Ward 10 renter cited rising homelessness statistics and argued the ordinance's exemptions already address landlord concerns about taxes and new construction.

A lifelong Providence resident and developer called rent control 'the wrong prescription for the wrong illness,' urging the city instead to partner with the state on housing bond funds.

Described hearing of $200–$400 annual rent increases across the city and warned of a speculative bubble like post-2008 Atlanta.

A Ward 3 social worker described a client on SSDI facing a 25% rent hike and eviction, cited deaths of unhoused neighbors, and urged passage as a matter of justice.

A formerly homeless housing advocate argued the ordinance won't build housing but said the vacancy crisis, not regulation, is the root problem, urging supply-focused alternatives.

A West End Sistifier member described months of housing insecurity and rejected applications despite adequate income, urging passage.

Testifying for the RI Coalition of Housing Providers, warned of tax shifts to homeowners, litigation costs, board staffing expenses, and supply losses, urging a no vote.

A longtime rent stabilization campaign organizer challenged opponents to show affordable units being built now, calling the ordinance moderate and necessary.

A small landlord and property manager cited 60% insurance increases and a 13% tax increase on her multifamily properties, arguing the ordinance would choke off investment.

A published research scientist who grew up in St. Paul defended supporters' research rigor and urged the council to take the data seriously.

Speaking for the Greater Providence Board of Realtors, asked the committee to hold the ordinance and return with a package that grows supply and uses targeted, time-limited tenant safeguards.

A former property manager and Ward 1 renter called the status quo 'radical,' citing the city's unaffordability ranking and deaths of unhoused neighbors.

A disabled veteran and small property owner opposed the measure, citing financial hardship for mom-and-pop landlords, alleged council conflicts of interest, and demanded transparency and a delayed vote.

A state representative cited 40% median rent growth since 2020, 300+ chronically homeless students, and his own former apartment's rent nearly tripling, urging adoption.