Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
Providence's David Morales, 27, Runs for Mayor on 4% Rent-Cap Push
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11

Providence's David Morales, 27, Runs for Mayor on 4% Rent-Cap Push

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11

Summary

  • David Morales, 27, has made affordable housing the centerpiece of his bid to unseat Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, casting the race around whether renters can stay in the city.
  • Morales, himself a renter and the youngest member of the Rhode Island Legislature, argues Providence is being dominated by luxury housing and priced beyond many residents at lease renewal.
  • The contrast sharpened after Smiley, a fellow Democrat 20 years older, vetoed a bill that would have capped annual rent increases at 4%.
  • Housing costs are emerging as a defining issue for a broader wave of younger candidates nationwide, with both Democrats and Republicans tying generational change to plans to build more homes and curb costs.

Insights

Is a 27-year-old's mayoral campaign a local race or a preview of a national political housing battle?
Can a 4% rent cap make housing affordable, or will it ultimately shrink the supply of available homes?