1/ Ok, on the subject of local/state ballot measures, vote YES on state Prop 10, which would repeal Costa Hawkins act, and allow cities to experiment with their rent control laws.
2/ The general argument against all forms of rent control is that it messes with market forces, few units get built, ergo rents for those who don't have rent control rises. And we have seen the restriction on new units jack up prices throughout Bay Area. HOWEVER...
3/ Here in SF, we have rent control on units built before 1979 but not after. This a) means no set asides in massive new projects b) pushes the burden of rent control onto owners of 1-4 units, many 2 unit (in which they live in other), and lets big landlords off the hook.
4) Both those factors lead to a rent control stock that is older and not as well maintained and ever diminishing.
5) Developers are sometimes made to include a small number of "below market" units, but when market for a 1 br is over a million, well, no wonder we have a teacher crisis.
6) In my opinion, we need to both build a lot of new housing and have some of that new housing put under rent control (or stabilization, which is perhaps a better policy overall, but I digress).
7) We also need to build denser, particularly in transit hubs, and rezone the entire west side of town so that more than just single family homes can be built. We also need more active programs to provide affordable housing for teachers and other key jobs for the city's health.
8) If we allow for experimentation with rent control, will it lead to better outcomes? Maybe not! But we'll never know until we try, and never break out of predictable trenches until we do.
9) We also need more publicly funded housing. SF is slowly reno-ing its worst, and at least in my neighborhood (Mission), the new complexes seem well planned and maintained. But we need more. (That's where Prop C could help.)
