By H.L. Walters Santa Monica
Regarding Tony Street’s letter (SMDP, Jan. 20, page 4). Nobody benefits from rent control? I and many I know could not afford to live here without it. Granted, some landlords rent to the wealthy, and that is a flaw in the law that should be corrected. The wealthy are more likely to pay the rent on time? Not necessarily. I used to manage rental apartments in New York. The wealthy are more likely to do their own repairs? Seldom, if ever. As for those who have incomes of between $56,401 and $75,989, or up to $150,000, I don’t know where they mostly live. Probably north of Montana, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, etc. Our neighborhood, Pico neighborhood and the like, they’d not be too interested in, I am sure. Many of us ride the buses, and I talk to a lot of people on those buses who, like me, cannot afford a car. Also, once a rent-controlled apartment is vacated, the landlord can charge market prices. Mr. Street did good research for his letter, but he left out a key factor: We struggling poor are many. And I believe rent control was to keep a more diversified populace in Santa Monica. And I love its diversity.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 1, 2005. Read the original PDF.