Rent regulation views vary depending on how questions are asked

Photo | Christine Peterson The Vernon Hill neighborhood in Worcester is 76% renter-occupied, has an 87% non-white population, the fourth lowest median household income in the city with $38,347, and a 24% poverty rate.

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By Alison Kunitz | State House News Service

People who are in favor of rent control would waver in their support of the policy shift depending on how different phrases appear in a potential ballot question, according to a poll released Thursday that focused on a range of issues confronting Beacon Hill lawmakers, including gun reform, standardizing testing and raising the minimum wage.

Nearly 59 percent of people support a statewide rent control policy that "prevents landlords from raising rents too much," compared to 26 percent who oppose it, the new poll from the right-leaning Fiscal Alliance Foundation found. About 15 percent were undecided or not sure.

But Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Foundation spokesperson Paul Craney described that query as a "propaganda" question crafted for rent control proponents.

"The intention of asking that question is kind of see where their ceiling is at and then see how those people move from saying yes they support rent control, to having doubt, unsure, undecided or opposing" subsequent questions, Craney said during a virtual press conference Thursday. "It was intentionally put there on purpose just to see how people change their opinion when you ask a conceptual question ... and then consequential questions."

The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percent, queried 750 likely voters on July 21-22. The results were released less than a week before ballot question petition proposals must be filed on Aug. 2 with Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office.

When asked about people's support for "allowing the government to control" the rental rate, markedly fewer respondents remained in favor of the policy. Under that language, only 28 percent of people would support rent control, while 47 percent oppose it and 25 percent are undecided or unsure.

When asked about their stance on statewide rent control should it lead to "less investment in maintenance and upkeep of current rental units," 27 percent of respondents would support the policy. Meanwhile, 41 percent opposed rent control in this question and 33 percent were undecided or unsure.

In another nuanced question, 31 percent of respondents would support rent control if it meant "fewer new multi-family housing units being constructed." About 39 percent opposed rent control and 31 percent were undecided or unsure in this scenario.

The poll found that 47 percent of respondents support Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's rent control proposal, compared to 29 percent who oppose it and 23 percent who were undecided or unsure. Beacon Hill lawmakers don't plan to hold a public hearing on her proposal for several months.

Gov. Maura Healey has not staked out a clear position on rent control, or rolled out omnibus legislation to attack the state's housing affordability crisis. Ed Augustus, Healey's housing secretary in a recently created executive office, refrained from disclosing his rent control views during his swearing-in ceremony last month, saying he was "open-minded" and needed "get up to speed" on certain policy ideas.

Among other topics, the poll also found a near tie among people who support or oppose raising the state's $15 minimum wage to $20 per hour. Pollsters asked survey takers if they supported "raising the state minimum wage by 33% to $20/hour" and 43 percent said they supported that while 43 percent were opposed and 13 percent were undecided.

Nearly two-thirds of people support standardized testing in 10th grade as a graduation requirement and 25 percent oppose it. MCAS critics have filed language for a potential ballot question that would prevent schools from using MCAS or similar assessments to deny students their high school diplomas.

With state lawmakers taking a closer look at gun law changes, About one-third of respondents say Massachusetts gun laws are "not strict enough," while another one-third say they are "just right" and 8 percent were undecided or not sure. Nearly 20 percent of respondents said the state's gun laws are "too strict."

In a hypothetical scenario included in the poll, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren would prevail in a Senate contest against former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

Warren garnered 41 percent of the vote, compared to Polito at 29 percent and 30 percent who were not sure or undecided.

Warren is "potentially vulnerable" should the "right candidate" with the "right message" run against her, said Jim Eltringham of Advantage Inc., a polling company based in the Washington, D.C. area.

"It's something that if I were in her camp, I'd be a little concerned about," Eltringham told reporters.

Choosing Polito, who was a Republican state rep before being elected statewide, was due to "curiosity more than anything else," said Craney, who noted a poll earlier this year pitted Warren against former Gov. Charlie Baker.

"We wanted to do another head-to-head with a notable member of the opposing party," Craney said.

About 53 percent of respondents gave Warren a strongly or somewhat favorable rating, with about 39 percent delivering a strongly or somewhat unfavorable opinion of the Cambridge Democrat. About 8 percent were not sure. The alliance called Warren's numbers "soft for an incumbent seeking a third term."