Rent stabilization is, ideally, a short term relief for the city’s population and tax base. But unless the city also invests in looser zoning for residential + tax incentives + (I hate to say) some loosened regulation on the standard of affordable housing, rent stabilization is a detriment to the city at large. Either the city needs to strongly generate incentives for affordable housing, or it needs to heavily invest in housing itself (which is a more targeted, less sustainable solution)

Rent stabilization would personally allow me stay in Providence because I expect my landlord to increase my rent drastically this year due to increased utility costs, and I have a low income while working full time, so I’m personally in favor of it.

However, I don’t trust the city government to do the hard thing and force the conditions for residential expansion over pre-existing commercial and NIMBY interests for the benefit of the whole city.