Last month a group of concerned residents came from Los Angeles to the California Apartment Association headquarters in Sacramento to protest rising rents and urge the adoption of rent control.

Tom Bannon

Rather than call in the police, or lock our doors, I met them in our lobby and began a dialogue that is long overdue. I did agree with some of their concerns, but I disagreed that rent control is the answer.

In the real world, regulations and restrictions have only resulted in fewer available homes. Since controls are not “means-tested” they do nothing to guarantee that lower-income residents will have access.

While we don’t support rent control, the California Apartment Association wants to be part of the solution – helping enact policies that encourage new home development.

Click here to read the rest of Tom Bannon’s op-ed, which appeared in The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday, June 8.