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San Diego is one of the few major cities in California that does not have some form of rent control. By November, that may change.
A vote to allow more rent control, championed by Los Angeles HIV/AIDS activist Michael Weinstein and tenants rights groups, has qualified for the November 6 statewide ballot. The initiative would repeal a law from 1995 limiting county and city governments' ability to curb rent hikes, but local lawmakers would still have the final say for approving rent control, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Alan Gin, an economist at the University of San Diego, said rent limitations may help some people but it could result in less housing being built, something desperately needed in the state. “Housing prices have gotten way out of hand in California,” he said. “Even though I don’t think (rent control) will work, I can understand people’s frustration.” Economists typically argue that rent control will lead to a reduction in the quality and quantity of housing available. But, that hasn’t stopped frustrated renters in San Diego and the rest of California from taking action.
