As I step forward to run for the Fifth Ward City Council seat here in Providence, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the real challenges our community faces. Few issues come up more often in conversations with neighbors than the rising cost of housing. It’s a deeply personal concern—one that affects whether families can stay in the neighborhoods they love, whether young people can afford to build a life here, and whether our city remains accessible to everyone who calls it home.

In those conversations, one idea surfaces again and again: rent control. On its face, it feels like a straightforward solution—limit rent increases, and you make housing more affordable. I understand why that resonates. When rents are rising faster than wages, people want immediate relief.

But as I’ve looked more closely at the history of rent control across the country, I’ve come to a more cautious conclusion. Cities like San Francisco and St. Paul have shown that while rent control can help some tenants in the short term, it often creates unintended consequences that make the broader housing situation more difficult over time. In many cases, strict rent caps have discouraged new housing development, reduced the number of available rental units, and ultimately pushed costs higher for those trying to enter the market.

Even long-standing systems, like the one in New York City, reveal a complicated reality. While some residents benefit from stability, the system has also contributed to a divided housing market—where access to affordable units depends more on timing and luck than fairness, and where new renters face some of the highest costs in the country.

These lessons matter for Providence. Our city is growing, and with that growth comes pressure on our housing supply. If we adopt policies that unintentionally discourage new construction or investment, we risk making the problem worse—not better.

That doesn’t mean doing nothing. Far from it. We need to act with urgency, but also with care. I believe we should focus on solutions that expand housing opportunities: encouraging responsible development, cutting unnecessary red tape that delays new construction, supporting first-time homebuyers, and protecting tenants from unfair or sudden displacement.

We can—and must—support renters without shrinking the housing market they depend on.

Running for the Fifth Ward is about making thoughtful, evidence-based decisions that serve both today’s residents and future generations. Housing is too important for easy answers. It demands solutions that are not only compassionate, but that actually work.

That’s the standard I intend to bring to City Hall.