By John Imhoff III
In his Sept. 8 column, (SMDP, page 4), Charles Springer called on landlords to offer “rent control prices,” in order to house the homeless. He cites 16,000 vacancies on Westside Rentals as proof there is a “glut.”
What Springer kindly omits is that rent control is responsible for high market rents and units remaining vacant. Because rent control still applies, any landlord who asks less than market is locking himself into a long-term unilateral contract, from which there is no escape. Thanks, but no thanks.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 12, 2003. Read the original PDF.