What’s your position on rent control?

Gerry Garzon: As a renter, I believe rent controls may be appropriate within the type of rental environment that we’re seeing today in the East Bay to ensure a variety of housing remains within reasonable limits for families here. That said, I believe landlords deserve returns on their investments, so annual increases, if appropriate, should be taken into consideration under any rent-control legislation.

Farhad Matin: If rent control is ever imposed, Alameda will see a decline in the quantity and quality of apartments and homes for rent. Homeowners will see a ceiling put on their home values. Shops, restaurants, and the school district will not participate in robust economic times. Economists are virtually unanimous in concluding that rent controls are destructive.

Laura Thomas: I would hate to be bounced out of my cherished home because somebody with more money wanted it. Just because I am a homeowner doesn’t make me more deserving of a secure roof than someone who rents. I don’t have a stance on rent control, but we must do more to stabilize the situation in Alameda.

Lydia Scott-Adams: As an Alameda renter, I, of course, worry about being able to afford to live in my apartment if my landlord raises my rent, but I also understand the owner’s perspective of needing to keep up with the rising cost of maintaining their property. As the cost of living and inflation gradually rises, I expect my rent will rise proportionally as well.

Hunter Mitchell: I believe that not having rent control gives owners financial security, allowing them to maintain and improve their properties that have acquired deferred maintenance over the years. We are finding with some property owners in rent-controlled cities a lack of maintenance stemming from a fear of not being able to pay their monthly mortgage and expenses. I believe not having rent control has helped keep the desirability and integrity of living in Alameda, but we do need to keep in mind that it is the people living here who make Alameda what it is.

This article appears in the September 2014 issue of Alameda Magazine
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