As rents and eviction rates rise across the country, more cities and states are debating rent control policies, which housing advocates say are needed to keep more people in their homes.
Affordable housing experts say rents in booming housing markets and in commuter towns have been rising too much and too quickly, putting the most pressure on the poorest residents and fueling the country's homelessness crisis.
"The difference between housing and food is you can eat less, but with housing, at some point you'll be homeless," said Gary Blasi, a public interest lawyer and housing rights expert in Los Angeles. "The market says you can have all the housing you can afford. And if you can't afford any, then you're on the street."
California will vote in 2024 on whether to allow statewide rent control, after proponents gathered more than 800,000 signatures. The state already has one version of rent control, but it doesn't apply to buildings built after 1995. The new initiative, which has failed in two previous elections, would allow cities and counties to include newer buildings.
In Seattle — where U.S. Census data shows rents rose over 90% between 2010 and 2020 — the City Council voted against implementing rent control measures this month after landlords said it would hurt them financially. The measure would have capped annual rent increases at the rate of inflation.
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