Daily Blog

Rent Control is a Public Health Issue

In her recent opinion piece, Dr. Traci Biondi, considers rent control from a public health perspective. Although rent control is primarily a concern for economists and housing policy specialists, Biondi highlights its relevance to the daily living conditions and health of the population.

Most people would agree that the root cause of the housing crisis is insufficient supply. Homes are still not being built to satisfy demand. This is causing prices to increase, and rentors to feel the pinch. This is true for a number of states, and here, Massachusetts, is no exception.

While rent control has the noble intention of making housing more affordable, it can backfire. As setting rent prices robs landlords of the ability to make a reasonable profit, they may choose to forgo all maintenance. This can lead to the development of mold, pest infestations, and various other health hazards.

Housing conditions, especially when they are a nuisance, are an incredible risk to human health. Poor air quality, improper heating and cooling, and unsafe electricity are a few of the many, and all lead to respiratory complications and other long standing health issues. The presence of these risks can be more pronounced on the elderly, the young, and especially on people with preexisting health conditions.

Another problem would be availability. If rent control were to be put into action, then possibly, units would be occupied for longer and less apartments would be open to new tenants. The less housing supply available, the more people will be living in cramped or unsuitable conditions. The stress of living in these conditions can negatively impact people's mental state, and can make spreading illness even easier.

This doesn’t mean that the problem of affordability doesn’t exist, because it very much does. But it shows the need for more root cause focused solutions. Many housing experts claim that the most effective means of lowering housing costs in the long run is to increase the housing supply.

This debate is happening across the country. In California, for example, voters have been concerned about the long-term effects of housing availability and quality and have rejected attempts to expand rent control.

Ultimately, housing policy choices impact much more than prices. Safe and stable housing is essential to people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life. It’s crucial that policies improve affordability and quality of housing. They need to ensure that safe, stable housing becomes accessible to more people.

As the dialogue continues, it will be important to keep the larger goal in mind.