RENT CONTROL can never work. They tried it in Cambridge and how we got all these crazy liberals because our rents were always lower than most surrounding cities and we had the best access to the MBTA which other towns desperately lack– Arlington, Medford and Everett being the worst. If you have never experienced being a small landlord — (greedy landlord is the problem, not the small landlord, there is a distinction, learn it!!) You might want to research how many local lawyers, one a former alderman, who has bought up many condos and others have also bought up most neighborhood homes which they also run a practice to be that greedy landlord you describe and they are also close to the mayor! Go there to complain about high rents. The facts are that the small landlords are paying over $14k annually in taxes and water/sewer to run 2-3 family homes which they reside. So tenants are also getting an in home service when things break in their apartment. The landlord lives there and not in one of their many condos in FLORIDA, NH, ARUBA and CAYMAN ISLANDS. Plus some of the shady realtors are also benefiting by the city rigged RE market. Get educated on this topic before you start blaming the wrong people. If they were to implement rent control, the city would go bust. No more repairs, landlords will sell to worse landlords and get out of Dodge. There are other towns to move to where you can access transportation. Consider a different town. Many have and are not buying into this rigged shitshow.
Disgruntled nomad