EASTHAMPTON — A new report in the works analyzing the city’s rental market is confirming what many renters already experience — that rising rents are pushing more and more people into spending more on housing than is recommended by the federal government.
A new snapshot of Easthampton’s rental market, reveals that nearly half of city’s tenants spend more than 30% of their income on rent, according to a forthcoming report. In official terms, that means these renters are housing cost-burdened.
“This is just again a very persistent statistic that shows we have high rates of cost burden in Easthampton,” City Councilor At-Large elect Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid said at a Dec. 9 meeting of the Easthampton Rent Study Committee. “This has been the case the last few census years.”
The committee was formally created by the City Council on Sept. 3 and charged with two tasks: to study and examine the Easthampton housing market and to analyze programs to highlight ways the city can support tenants.
A majority of the data in the presentation given by Jamrog-McQuaid comes from U. S. Census Bureau data between 2018 and 2023, and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. In an interview with the Gazette, he said this is currently the most accurate data that is not privatized.
Jamrog-McQuaid said this does not depict the 2025 renting situation, but gives a strong base to inform the committee’s research moving forward.
Out of 7,924 total occupied households in Easthampton, 3,179, or 40%, are renters. Of those renters 43% are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. And, 10% are considered severely cost-burdened, which means housing takes more than 50% of their income.
The average median monthly rent price for all sized renting units in 2023 is estimated at $1,192, an increase from 2018 when the average was $983. Breaking it down by size, the average monthly price to rent a one-bedroom in Easthampton is $979, followed by $1,328 for two bedrooms, $1,537 for three bedrooms and $1,792 for four bedrooms.
The median income for household owners is estimated at $89,900, and for renters, it’s $50,400, according to the report.
Since its inception, the nine-member committee made up of renters, landlords and real estate company owners, has been exploring ways to help tenants and study the renting market in Easthampton. Jamrog-McQuaid chairs the committee and City Councilor At-Large Koni Denham, along with fellow Precinct 2 Councilor Felicia Jadczak, also sit as members.
Jamrog-McQuaid explained that the committee is different from the city’s Affordable and Fair Housing Partnership, which he also serves on. While the Rent Study Committee seeks to help tenants and study rent, the partnership focuses on the production and preservation of affordable housing in the city.
Jamrog-McQuaid is a known housing advocate in the city, working as a research analyst at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, focusing on policy research related to housing, workforce and economic development. Through that work, he contributed to the 100-plus page report, “Building Homes, Building Futures,” which paints a comprehensive housing picture on the four counties of western Massachusetts.
The new report also shows that there are 561 vacant housing units in the city, out of a total housing stock of 8,485 units. Of those vacancies, 260 are rentals.
The committee says there are different reasons why property owners keep their units vacant. Some cite the cost to maintain the properties when rented, while others are unsure whether they want to rent their properties on a short- or long-term basis.
“I know anecdotally … people who deliberately keep their units empty for various reasons but I do think that might be something for us to maybe dig into further,” Jadczak said.
Of the homeowners with mortgages in Easthampton, 41% are considered cost-burdened and 16% are severely cost-burdened.
Next steps
The committee hopes to use this data as a stepping stone to conduct further research.
With that, the committee then discussed ways they could support tenants such as those facing rent increases at Pleasant View Apartments, 17 Adams St. and select Pine Valley Realty properties.
The committee weighed the potential of a home-rule petition that would override the state’s ban on rent stabilization for municipalities, implemented in 1994. Comparisons were made to Boston’s attempt for a home-rule petition that could serve as a model for Easthampton, though the initiative that started in March 2022 by Mayor Michelle Wu inevitably died in the State House.
That process revealed aspects of a home-rule petition that are important to consider — what is a fair rent increase limit, which units would be exempt from the cap depending on owner occupancy and if the building is newer and what city department would have regulation control, members said.
While the committee plans different courses of actions, it will organize public listening sessions to gather input from residents.
The committee’s brainstorming also highlights the ongoing efforts from rent control supporters to get it implemented in some way. In Massachusetts, multiple bills have been floated on Beacon Hill, and Massachusetts Homes for All is advancing an initiative to get rent control on the 2026 state election ballot.
This proposed law would limit the annual rent increase for residential units in the state to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index for a 12-month period, or 5%, whichever is lower. The ballot initiative has gathered enough signatures and been submitted, but has not been approved.
The Easthampton Rent Study Committee’s next meeting will likely be on Jan. 6 and holds public speak time for residents to give input.