Proposed rent control and shelter ordinances are moving forward in South Portland.
On Tuesday night, the City Council gave unanimous preliminary approval of the ordinances, according to the Portland Press Herald.
The rent control measure would cap rent increases in the city at 10 percent for landlords who own 15 or more units with exceptions, such as new construction or units where government agencies regulate rent prices.
The shelter zoning ordinance would allow for the constructions of homeless shelters under specific guidelines like the total number of shelters allowed, their size and how many people they can accommodate.
During the pandemic, several South Portland hotels became overflow emergency shelters for Portland’s Oxford Street Shelter, but the city is requiring those hotels to resume normal operations by the end of April.
The council postponed a scheduled first vote on rent control to March 7 after making several amendments that must be added to the measure, according to the Press Herald.
The Press Herald reported one addition would prevent landlords from cutting services to tenants if they were blocked from raising rents.
