All in Economics

Why Rent Control Makes Housing Shortages Worse—And What Actually Works

Rent control sounds compassionate—but the data say otherwise. From San Francisco to St. Paul, cities that cap rents see fewer new apartments, declining maintenance, and skyrocketing prices for everyone else. This post breaks down the research showing why rent control backfires, and makes the case for smarter solutions: cutting government spending, restoring enforcement against illegal immigration, and freeing the market to build.