By Heidi Marshall Booth
In response to Tom Hallen’s comments in the SMPD from May 23 (“Rent control’s time has come to an end,” letters): The circumstances you describe with the rent control tenants sound like a management problem, not a “Rent Control” problem. If the owners/managers cared that little about who was living in their space, that is not a reflection of a city policy.
Once again, it would be nice if people cease these gross generalizations. My neighbor pays less than half the rent that I do. He has also been a loyal tenant for 15 years who has cared for his apartment; he prevented the landlord from having times when it was vacant; he pays his rent in a timely manner; and the rest of us feel no resentment. Instead, we feel respect for a person who has made a home.
For those of you considering getting rid of rent control, you would be taking away a lot from people like him. Bravo to Joel C. Koury (“Rent control is help, not a handout,” May 25) for pointing out some facts.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 30, 2007. Read the original PDF.