There's no hot button issue hotter than rent control.

Even the most courageous politician quakes at the idea of opposing it.

For starters, no one likes landlords.

Second, those who benefit from rent control, and there are a lot of them vote.

And it has huge emotional appeal.

Imagine this six o'clock news story.

A reporter interviews a senior citizen describing how she'll have to vacate her small apartments,

her home for 25 years.

If her rent control isn't maintained, what politician wants to go up against that?

These are just a few of the reasons why.

Once a city adopts rent control, it's almost impossible to dislodge it.

But does rent control work?

Does it lower a raise housing costs?

And does it increase the building of more affordable housing?

It might surprise you to know that nearly all economists on the right and the left, from

the late Milton Friedman to Paul Krogman, agree that the answer is no.

In a survey of 464 economists, in the May 1992 issue of American economic review, 93

percent said that sealing on rent reduces the quantity and quality of housing available.

Why the unanimity?

Because it's an accepted economic principle that government imposed price controls.

And that's what rent control is.

Always lead to price distortions.

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