Everyone should have a safe, stable place to call home. That’s why Portland voters passed rent control in 2020 and voted to strengthen it last November. Now, landlords have put a measure on the June ballot to gut the rent control that Portlanders put into place. Question A would allow landlords to raise the rent with no limit on every turnover.

We know this change will really hurt Portland renters, and we can’t let that happen. That’s why Housing Justice Maine, a coalition that includes Dignity First, Homeless Voices for Justice, Maine Equal Justice, the Maine Immigrant Housing Coalition, Maine People’s Alliance, Raise-Op Housing Cooperative and the Southern Maine Workers’ Center, is urging Portland voters to vote “no” on A.

We all want to provide for our families, have a safe place to call home and pursue our dreams, regardless of what we look like or where we come from. Whether you’re a renter like me, worried about your own housing, or a homeowner who cares about your neighbors not getting priced out of our city, vote “no” on A this June to protect rent control.

Rachel Ackoff
Portland