The housing market in Montclair has gone from ridiculous to absurd. In this context, it is clear that rent control is a key tool in maintaining the diversity that so many of us value in our town.
Unfortunately, a group of wealthy landlords, under the umbrella of Montclair Property Owners Association, is doing everything they can to raise rents and force out middle- and lower-income tenants.
They took advantage of the pandemic to get access to Montclair residents’ private cell phone numbers, then blasted us all with a misleading text that led many supporters of rent control to sign their petition, thinking that they were signing in support of rent control. They have subsequently forced the town to waste significant amounts of taxpayer money on legal fees and court.
I hope that rent control does end up in a referendum, because I am confident that the Montclair community will come together to vote in favor of equity and diversity — in favor of rent control.
Rachel Rosenberg
Montclair
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