rent control Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Commentary: Watch Out for Rent-Control Madness

September 10, 2024 Admin

For the latest example of why “local control” is no kind of governing principle, I present readers with the example of Proposition 33 — a rent-control measure that Californians will consider on the November ballot. Its supporters — a who’s who of left-wing activist groups and mainstream progressive organizations such as the California Democratic Party — claim that the measure merely allows local governments to impose rent controls tailored to local conditions.

Indeed, the so-called Justice for Renters Act features this simple text: “The state may not limit the right of any city, county, or city and county to maintain, enact or expand residential rent control.” If voters approve the initiative, it would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Control Act. That 1995 law responded to concerns by landlords at the growing movement by local governments to impose some of the strictest rent-setting laws in the nation.

Commentary: Rent Control Is the Wrong Solution for Housing Affordability

September 15, 2023 RealClearWire

My family moved to the United States from the Caribbean in 1985. About eight years later, my parents saved enough to purchase a two-family home in the quiet outskirts of Boston far away from our crime-ridden neighborhood. As landlords, my parents charged modest rents—enough to “help with the mortgage”—and ensured that the first-floor apartment was always well maintained for our tenants.

Commentary: A Rent Control Renaissance Is Underway in the U.S. and It’s Sure to Make the Housing Shortage Worse

May 28, 2023 Admin

If one needed any more proof that rent control laws suppress investment in new housing, then it is not necessary to look any further than this recent survey from the National Apartment Association. They found that “Over 70% of housing providers say rent control impacts their investment and development plans; actions include reducing investments, shifting plans to other markets, and canceling plans altogether.”

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter Establishes ‘Rent Stabilization Stakeholder Group’

February 21, 2022February 20, 2022 Cooper Moran

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has established a “Rent Stabilization Stakeholder Group” to “identify considerations on improving and enhancing rent stabilization in Saint Paul.”

According to the mayor’s office, the new group is composed of 41 individuals from different careers and backgrounds. They will work together to produce a report by the end of the summer.

Developers Pause, Pull Out After St. Paul Passes Rent Control

November 13, 2021November 12, 2021 The Center Square

Earlier this month, St. Paul voters chose 53%-47% to impose a 3% cap on rent increases per year. Despite the rule not activating until May 22, developers already are pausing and pulling out of projects.

The cap is strict: it doesn’t account for inflation, small or large landlords, new or old buildings, “regardless of change of occupancy.” The goal is to obtain stable, affordable housing prices, but there are also wide-reaching unintended consequences.

Pre-election, Mayor Melvin Carter said he supported the initiative.

Twin Cities Landlords Ask Voters to Oppose Rent Control on November Ballot

October 8, 2021October 7, 2021 Hayley Feland

Twin Cities landlords are asking voters to oppose rent control on the November ballots. The landlords say that rent controls would create more issues within an already struggling housing market.