NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2026
Contact:
Dave Cavell
Executive Director, BCDC
dave@brooklinecdc.com
Brookline, MA – The Brookline Community Development Corporation (BCDC) today released the following statement on today’s Supreme Judicial Court decision regarding the statewide rent control ballot question:
“For years, residents across Brookline and Massachusetts have made clear that housing affordability is one of our most urgent challenges. Every month, too many people in our Town and across the Commonwealth have to choose between paying their rent, putting food on the table, or leaving the communities they call home.
BCDC is disappointed that today’s Supreme Judicial Court ruling means voters will not have the opportunity to weigh in on this critical issue this November. But today’s decision does not lessen the urgency of addressing the housing crisis, it only underscores it.
We urge the Legislature to build on the bipartisan momentum around a legislative compromise that would give communities additional tools to address rising rents while continuing to support housing production. We also renew our call to leaders at the State House, in city and town halls, and across the Commonwealth to bring renewed creativity, urgency, and commitment to affordable housing construction and preservation. Massachusetts cannot afford to let today's procedural setback become an excuse for inaction.
The housing affordability crisis demands action now. Families cannot wait, and neither should we.”
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Founded in 1980, the primary purpose of the Brookline Community Development Corporation (BCDC), formerly the Brookline Improvement Coalition (BIC), is to build and preserve green affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households in Brookline, Massachusetts. BCDC’s vision is to create successful partnerships and programs to improve access to affordable housing for Brookline’s residents, leading to better health outcomes, economic prosperity, security and quality of life for those of lesser financial means. Learn more at https://brooklinecdc.com/