Op-Ed: Portland’s Recode Should Include Ditching Rent Control
Portland’s rent control policy is complex for all involved and fraught with disputes – there’s no doubt about that. The city is on the verge of issuing an $8,700 fine – the first of its kind – to a local landlord who said she did not intentionally violate the ordinance but rather failed to understand it.
This confusion could end if the city implemented policies that actually increased the availability and affordability of housing. This is possible through the lens of the city’s ongoing ReCode project, but the effort may be fruitless if the city doesn’t deregulate as much as it can while eliminating rent control.
Portland’s current rent control ordinance, though crafted to reduce costs, merely perpetuates the city’s housing affordability crisis and should be abandoned in favor of simpler, deregulatory alternatives.