The Rent Control issue is not disappearing.
On WTTW’s Chicago Tonight the debate continued, with the head of the Lift the Ban Coalition, Jawanza Malone, facing off against Michael Mini with the CHicagoland Apartment Association. Mini said the 1997 state law which bans Rent Control is necessary.
“Studies have shown that Rent Control does not achieve the results that it’s intended to achieve and over the long haul what it does is it actually results in fewer apartments on the market – so less supply, which drives up costs.” Mini said.
A number of initiatives aimed at ending the Rent Control ban in Illinois failed to gain traction during the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. However, the bills could still be called for consideration by lawmakers, and proponents of lifting the ban say they are not giving up the fight to repeal the law.
California is expected to implement a new law which would limit how much rents could be increased on some buildings. It would also require property owners who convert apartments to condos to pay some relocation costs for renters affected by the change. The California law comes after similar efforts passed in New York and Oregon.
