By adamg on Wed., 8/7/2019 - 11:33 am
The Bay State Banner talks to candidates for Boston City Council about rent control.
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The Bay State Banner talks to candidates for Boston City Council about rent control.
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Comments
fist bump
By anon²
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 11:07am
fist bump
By anon²
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 11:07am
fist bump
By anon²
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 11:07am
A lot of economics is bad policy and bad efficiency allocations, but this one is just simple demand out striping supply. It's super charging gentrification because the only properties available are old stock that then get renovated.
We're going to be surprised at the population uptick in the 2020 census next year, the signs are everywhere from traffic, to unemployment numbers, to housing prices.
Er
By jorf
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 1:22pm
First of all, what BRAND NEW UNIT in a world of minimum sq footage, heights, parking allotments etc are not going to be "luxury" relative to the rest of the stock?
Any new units depress pricing on the existing stock, so even the high end is a net benefit.
Luxury housing is a lottery system that should not exist if building were actually easy and we had a free market in housing. The problem is that ultimately you have people who have invested in communities for a long time who have often good complaints about new development and often really really shitty and regressive complaints that cause our housing shortage.
Complaining about "luxury" is ultimately missing the forrest for the trees. We need to change zoning to gradually accommodate taller units (above the ~3 story limit, the optimal is probably around 6) and more density-rich towers that can legally have smaller units.
Sigh
By Lunchbox
Wed, 08/07/2019 - 5:35pm
"Pretty much every economist agrees that rent controls are bad."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/06/15...
"And yet economists from both the right and the left are in almost universal agreement that rent control makes housing problems worse in the long run."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/12/business/econom...
News Flash
By BlackKat
Wed, 08/07/2019 - 5:49pm
Economists do not know anything about the economy.
But you do
By merlinmurph
Wed, 08/07/2019 - 7:11pm
Uh, sure.
Better approach
By anon
Wed, 08/07/2019 - 11:36pm
There's a better approach than rent control. Mass law allows cities and towns to set exactly two tax rates: residential, and commercial/industrial. Plus the law allows a few offsets (residential (owner occupied) exemption, elderly, blind, disabled) to the residential tax.
It would make sense to allow for more than a couple of tax rates, especially for rental properties. Make one rate for 100% owner occupied units (i.e. no bedrooms for unrelated persons), another rate for rental units, and another sky-high rate for short term rentals.
If you want to encourage homeownership, you have to discourage rental housing, and the best way to do that is with the tax code.
I remember the tail-end of rent control
By anon
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 11:14am
It was a scandal-ridden program. People with CONNECTIONS got the $350./mth apartments that today's market rate go for thousands of $. Landlords allowed property to decay.It was one of the direct causes of the ardon for profit (insurance fraud) that plagued American cities in the 70s and 80s.
The main solution to our mostly manufacturered housing 'crisis' is to change zoning and encourage, not hinder because of excessive regulations allegedly for the common good. You could also argue and endless discuss fed rates, tax laws, etc.
Local politicians are particularly beholden to the real estate industry. It's in their unterest to keep a tight market.
rethink what an apartment is as well
By cinnamngrl
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 12:08pm
Back in the 50's when the population was highest, there were more shared spaces. Rooms for rent in family homes and rooming houses. We have few safe respectable single room occupancy units in the city anymore. There were also a lot less cars.
Let’s not be short sighted!
By KMK
Sun, 08/18/2019 - 8:44pm
Let’s not be short sighted! Along with rent control there would need to be real estate tax control, housing insurance control, water and sewer charge control, maintenance control for contractors, plumbers, electricians etc. Let us not forget that property owners pay greatly for these properties and to maintain them. Also while we are on the subject we should also put stringent rules in place for the rent and non rent controlled tenants so that the landlords are guaranteed to receive their rental income to cover these costs. If that doean’t happen it causes financial problems for the landlord and the next tenant will most likely pay more to offset the landlords losses! Let not be so one sided about this. Been there, done that!!!
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