Monday Morning Bullpen: Rent Control Front and Center

Monday’s City Council agenda is heavy on rent control.

The City Council will receive a report on the rent control initiative that will appear on the November ballot.

Local rent control advocates collected more than 15.000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

According to Monday’s agenda, the City Council can support the agenda, oppose it or stay neutral.

I’m not really sure which way the wind will blow on this one. 

But if I had to guess, I’d pick the electeds standing right on the neutral line while acknowledging rents are too high and the city is working to build affordable housing. 

Also, we learned from the District 3 election that a majority of the voters in that district were not moved to vote for a challenger pushing the issue.

I’ll give you this on the issue.

It does not matter if the City Council supports rent control or not. 

Let’s face it, if you can’t afford to live in Pasadena on Monday, you won’t be able to afford it on Tuesday with rent control.

But it will help those struggling to stay in their homes.

And that is the issue. 

Rents are out of control. Some apartments are going for $3,000 a month. 

Hell if you can afford $2,500 to $3,000 a month. You’d be better off scratching together a down payment and buying a house.

Yes, houses are going someplace at $1 million and above, but it’s a much better investment than paying rent that gets you no equity.

That rent is just paying someone else’s mortgage. 

Yes, like everyone else I support decent affordable housing.

But simply put, there is nothing wrong with single family home ownership or living in a nice neighborhood. 

That shouldn’t be vilified as more affordable housing is being built. 

We’ll see which way the wind blows on this one. 

In a few months it will all come down to the ballot box.

The main question here is the same as in the District 3 election, what’s the message if a majority of the voters vote against the initiative.