By Sonya & Bruce Sultan Santa Monica
In response to (those) who have weighed in against rent control, you are missing an important point about the value of rent control to Santa Monica. Many of us who are fortunate enough to own our homes or pay market rent, nonetheless support rent control. We do so in part because we care about those less fortunate than ourselves and, in part, because we value living to the extent possible in an economically, socially, ethnically, racially and politically diverse community. We see rent control as an important safeguard, not just for individuals, but also for the type of community we value and in which we feel good about living and raising our children.
Bel Air may have its appeal, but it’s not the type of vibrant, diverse community we choose to call home. And we want our neighbors to be able to continue sharing our hometown with us. We don’t want them to be forced to move to Kansas or anywhere else.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 2, 2007. Read the original PDF.