Instead of going this route, why not actually do something really innovative and cutting edge, Bored of Stupidvisors? Like actually figuring out a FAIR rent policy to replace rent control. It is often cited by most economists that rent control is not the way to go. Any artifical measures to control pricing ultimately results in distortions that cause more havoc than good. For a city that has demonstrated an ability to be a trendsetting city with respect to legislation, why not be the city that comes up with a fair, means-testing form of rent control? The last I heard, we are ground zero for the highest rents anywhere. Again, I have no problem 100% with charging a senior citizen on SS a low rent amount. What I do have an issue with, and I am sure most people would agree, is the situation where you have a high income renter in a rent controlled apartment. That should not be ever be a possibility.
If we can put a man on the moon, how hard is it really to come up with a fair rent policy???
Rent control is a distortion. You’re arguing against it, but then you say it’s OK in some situations. Rent control ends up being bad for society. Once you allow it, then it’ll be expanded to more and more situations where people feel sympathetic towards that group.
Well, I am advocating for a compromise solution. Better than nothing. I don’t see how policy that is fair to all parties is not a good thing. We keep going back and forth and no real life solution comes of it. I am just saying that as the city often cited as ground zero for exorbitant rents and which happens to be rent control city that we take the lead and formulate an equitable solution.
That’s actually a bad comparison in my opinion. Part of the reason we can put man on the moon is because the moon didn’t have any say in it. It just got conquered and didn’t put up a fight. Imagine there was an indigenous species on the moon reacting to our landing …
Well, maybe there really is, and they’ve been planning since 1969.
SF has 800,000 people? Odds are you’d have 200,000 different opinions of fair rent policy. It’s impossible to arrive at a consensus and take action. What can be done is build-baby-build! It’s obvious the city needs more supply.