Across western Massachusetts, the local housing crisis is lived and it is affecting people we know; the single woman searching for a safe, modest apartment; the young professional hoping to stay in the region where they grew up; the senior on a fixed income; the family trying to remain rooted in the community.

At this very moment when we need more homes, more options, and more creativity, our region is moving toward policies that restrict supply rather than expand it. Rent control, even as zoning rules, conservation layers, and community resistance make it harder to build the very housing we desperately need.

The numbers tell the story. In Northampton, recent projects such as Prospect Place, Laurel Street, Sergeant House, and the Lumber Yard have added 166 units, good but far below the level of need. Valley Community Development has 170 units in the pipeline across Northampton, Amherst, and Hadley, again, helpful, but a fraction of what the region requires. Easthampton’s Parsons Village added 38 units, yet the city’s rental vacancy rate remains near zero. Amherst added East Gables with 28 units, Greenfield has added some senior and supportive housing, but new construction remains limited.

I am writing because Scripture calls us to “seek the peace of the city” (JEREMIAH 29:7). Peace is not simply the absence of conflict; it is the presence of conditions that allow people to flourish. Housing is one of those conditions. When people cannot find a home, the peace of the community is disrupted.

Rent control is often presented as a compassionate solution. The intention is understandable: protect those who are struggling. But compassion must be paired with wisdom. Decades of research show that rent control helps a small number of current tenants while reducing the overall supply of housing for everyone else. It discourages maintenance, pushes landlords out of the market, and makes developers think twice about building here at all. It will raise rents for newcomers and deepen the shortage.

If our goal is to help the very people rent control claims to protect, then we must be honest about what works:

First, we must build more homes, especially the kinds of homes ordinary people can afford. Western Massachusetts needs duplexes, triplexes, small apartment buildings, and accessory dwelling units. These are the homes that teachers, nurses, single women, young professionals, and seniors can realistically rent. But in many towns, these options are either banned or buried under layers of permitting and opposition.

Second, we must make it easier for homeowners to create accessory units. A small in-law apartment or garage conversion can provide safe, stable housing for someone in need while helping a homeowner stay afloat. These units are the fastest and most affordable to bring online yet they are often the hardest to approve.

Third, we must reform zoning so that modest multifamily housing is allowed “by right.” When every project requires a special permit, a public battle, and months of hearings, only the largest developers can afford to participate. Small, local builders, the ones who create the most naturally affordable housing are pushed out.

Fourth, we should support people directly rather than distorting the entire housing market. Rental assistance vouchers, first-month and last-month support, and targeted programs for vulnerable residents help individuals without shrinking the supply of homes.

And finally, we should give people a real path to ownership. One practical, bipartisan idea is the creation of federal and state tax-free First-Time Homebuyer Savings Accounts, like IRAs. These accounts would allow young adults, working families, and long-term renters to save for a down payment with meaningful tax advantages. For many in our region, especially single women, young professionals, and families starting out, this could be the difference between renting indefinitely, finally owning a home and planting roots here firmly.

None of these steps are dramatic nor do they make headlines. But they work. They create the conditions for housing peace where renters have options, landlords can maintain their properties, and developers can build responsibly without being treated as adversaries.

The housing crisis will not be solved by fear, anger, or resistance to change. It will be solved by the steady courage to do what is right for the whole community; not just today, but for the generations who will call western Massachusetts home.

Gary Midura lives in Easthampton