Committee Rejects Bills To End City Rent Control

The state legislature's Joint Committee on Local Affairs yesterday reported unfavorably on two bills designed to end rent control in Cambridge.

The committee also recommended rejection of a bill that would allow Cambridge to strengthen its rent control by outlawing eviction of tenants from apartments for condominium conversion.

There Are Doubts

"It's highly unlikely that the legislature would pass any of the bills after the unfavorable reports," an aide to Rep. Robert Vigneau, who chairs the committee, said yesterday. Rent control supporters and opponents, however, predicted floor fights later this spring over all of the bills.

Tenant organizer David Sullivan called the unfavorable reports on the rent control bills" a major victory for tenants," but termed the vote against the condominium conversion bill hypocritical and said "we have a good chance of winning on the floor."

The committee rejected the bills to end rent control because they intruded on Cambridge's home rule, Sullivan said.

"Logically, the committee should support the condo bill too, because the city council is on record as favoring it," he added.

Rent control opponent and city councilor Lawrence A. Frisoli said yesterday. "Someone will make some noise in the legislature about the rent control bills."

Both sides agreed one effect of state rejection would be to move the rent control battle back into Cambridge. Landlords have strongly opposed rent control, which was adopted nine years ago, because they think it keeps them from making fair profits, but tenants and other residents have said the limits on rent are necessary to protect poor and elderly residents.

"We have several options open to fight rent control, three or four at least," Frisoli said. He declined to detail the plans of rent control foes.

Rent control will "definitely be an election issue this year," Sullivan said. "We welcome the fight," he added. Cambridge municipal elections are scheduled for this fall.