Stories & Studies
"The vast majority of economists agree that artificially controlling apartment rents acts as a price ceiling that reduces the supply of housing over time."
— Ken Rosen, UC Berkeley, as cited in a 2020 NAHB report on rent control2025 – 2026
Portions of Salinas Rent Stabilization Ordinance Deemed Unconstitutional
Reports on a Monterey County Superior Court ruling that parts of the Salinas rent stabilization ordinance conflicted with state law — underscoring the legal complexity and overreach surrounding these local rent control measures.
Scarcity, Not Landlords, is Driving California's Rent Crisis
Argues California's rent crisis is primarily driven by housing scarcity rather than landlord behavior — lasting affordability requires more production, not more control.
What the Global Research on Rent Control Means for Rent Stabilization in Salinas, CA
Reviews global findings on rent control and applies them directly to the Salinas policy debate — emphasizing constrained supply, market distortions, and unintended long-term consequences.
2023 – 2024
NMHC Report: Rent Regulation Policy in the United States
Concludes rent control and rent regulation policies reduce housing opportunity and affordability for renters while disproportionately benefiting higher-income households.
Rent Control vs. Rent Stabilization: A New Name for a Failed Concept
Argues rent regulation worsens shortages, contributes to building deterioration, and distributes benefits inequitably — restating the case that rent control hurts renters over time.
Academic Research
NAHB Rent Control Policy Overview
Features economist Ken Rosen's view that rent control acts as a price ceiling that reduces housing supply over time and undermines efforts to address affordability through increased production.
The Effects of Rent Control Expansion on Tenants, Landlords, and Inequality: Evidence from San Francisco
Found that San Francisco rent control expansion reduced the supply of rental housing and contributed to broader market effects, including upward pressure on rents in the long run.
Trickle-Down Housing Economics
Examines how new housing supply creates downstream affordability effects by opening opportunities across the housing chain — making the case for more production over price controls.
Perspectives on Helping Low-Income Californians Afford Housing
Emphasizes that housing affordability is best addressed through targeted assistance and expanded supply rather than broad price controls — a California government finding.
Facts, Not Politics
The research is consistent across decades and cities. Housing supply — not price control — is the path to real affordability. Help us spread the word.
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