I was pleased to see that Northampton’s City Council, and the mayor are sponsoring a special order to ban the requirement that renters pay a broker’s fee contracted by the landlord. This fee which often totals one month’s rent, is on top of what renters have to pay for first and last month’s rent, as well as a security deposit. The average rent for a 2-bed room apartment in Northampton now is around $2,000. This means that a renter would need to come up with $8,000 to afford to live in the city.

As almost everyone is aware affordable housing in this area is a very serious barrier to many people and families. This proposed ban which is also supported by the governor, is a small, but important step toward addressing this problem. I know from working at Way Finders for many years, being a landlord can often be a financially challenging profession. However, this proposal shouldn’t significantly hinder their ability to operate a successful business. This ban was recommended by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in a report contracted by the city’s Northampton Housing Partnership. This report (https://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13668/Unlocking-Opportunity-An-Assessment-of-Barriers-to-Fair-Housing-in-Northampton) also highlights the many other barriers to affordable housing, and steps that should be taken to address them. Hopefully, the city will also work on these other issues to increase affordable housing.

Jim Reis

Northampton