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This is a good discussion of rent control, even though the title is unfortunately click-baitey. The great thing about this episode is that it actually does som

• LanceH 8y ago
  It does work for those renting. Whether those are who it needs to work for gets greatly distorted as time goes by. The cost is also not widely distributed, but can fall heavily on the property owner.
  • kungfoodog 8y ago
    One anecdotal example of this - my sister, lives in SF, near market in a rent controlled apartment paying ~$2200 for a single bedroom. She is a director at a tech company making high 300k - 400k a year depending on bonus etc - so obviously doesn't need rent control to have a roof over her head. Recently her job moved to South Bay (Palo Alto) but she refuses to move cause she can't let go of the "great deal" in the city. Way I see it - everyone is hurting - she, cause of he horrible commute, but can't let go of the "great deal", someone who probably really deserves that apartment/rent, the landlord, the environment. I know just one anecdotal example and I am sure there are many other examples on the other side where rent control helps. But to me, it looks like rent control really distorts the market way too much to be an effective solution to the housing crisis.
    • around_here 8y ago
      She leaves, and some also wealthy person gets to pay way more for it. The also wealthy landlord gets to get way too much for it. I'm happier to watch the owners of capital hurt for it. Decommodify housing. Full stop, no rents. Housing by need.
      • fenk85 8y ago
        I recommend you take a trip to any Russia (ex Soviet city)
      • bzbarsky 8y ago
        Who gets to determine the need? I've lived, though as a child, in a place where housing was distributed "by need" -- the USSR, though even then in the 80s things were liberalizing some. It was, in retrospect, a horrible combination of corruption, underinvestment in housing, and what would in the modern West be considered terrible living conditions.
• flukus 8y ago
  > it does work, for the rent controlled people And anyone relying on their labor. If the cost of living goes up for those people then the cost of other things go up. It's in everyone's interest that cheap housing is available (by some means or other), but lately we've all been sacrificing for the literal rent seekers.
  • scarface74 8y ago
    Or both businesses and employees could move to other parts of the country where it is cheaper.
    • flukus 8y ago
      An leave everyone else without local goods and services? It would make sense for software shops to move, but the grocery store and the people stacking it's shelves need to be where the population is.
      • scarface74 8y ago
        As people left, the cost of housing would come down as demand decreased. If people owning the stores saw they couldn’t make a profit there, they would not open businesses. People wanting the goods and services wouldn’t be happy with what is available and they would leave.