| When
the Real Estate Industry discourages rent control, they play upon
the public’s fear of the unknown and their worship of tradition.
The public is falsely told that rent control will gradually increase
the cost of housing, a major concern that the public has. The
truth is that landlords would try to raise the rents to compensate
for the perceived limits in rent control. If the city were required
to have rent control, the landlords would raise all their rents
before the law was on the books.
Or
is this just a scare tactic to discourage change? What situation,
exactly are we trying to change. I’m not a financial analyst
but I do see people living on beans and rice in order to pay their
exorbitant rents. I recently observed on T.V. that one complex
in San Diego was changing over their entire building to condominiums
and putting out their residents. I have heard this story over
and over for the last few years.
Obviously,
the rents in San Diego are out-pricing the working poor and discouraging
the middle class from ever owning a home. Yes, owning a home is
part of the American dream. Emigrants came from tenements and
boarding houses in order to have a better life. Even during the
depression, separate houses were built for workers on large government
projects.
Although
a rent raise might occur immediately before a rent control mandate,
landlords wouldn’t be dumb enough to out-price too many
residents. After an initial raise, a cap would be put on all rent
raises. This would be a good thing. Although I don’t feel
that it is necessary to own a home in order to be happy and I
believe happiness is a by-product of living right, it is, however,
questionable whether people can live comfortable or productive
lives with two and three generations forced to live in one and
two bedroom apartments. And this is certainly not because we don’t
have housing: apartments are for rent all the time, and many houses
are on the market.
The
construction industry and their bargains with real estate brokers
have produced a tradition of increasing cost and a reliance on
the booming market to increase the fortunes of a few. This sounds
like the entrepreneurial spirit, at first glance, but when you
look around and see these bargains creating misery and suffering,
other motives surface. More and more cheap labor floods our city
all the time, and less and less minimum wage jobs are available
in our high tech world.
We
have an octopus right here in America’s Finest City. Let’s
bring this issue into the light of truth. We don’t need
more financial reports; we need understandable and honest talk
about affordable housing for all. This is a biblical and/or ethical
approach to our future.
Donna
Gordon
La
Mesa
|
