When Short-Term Relief Masks Long-Term Damage Los Angeles just capped annual rent increases at 4% for certain stabilized units. On paper, it sounds compassionate. Who doesn’t want to shield renters from rising prices? But scratch below the surface, and you’ll find a deeper rot: a city failing to confront the real causes of its housing crisis. Mauricio Umansky—no right-wing firebrand, just a man who’s spent decades inside L.A.’s property markets—called it a “tremendous mistake.” And he’s not wrong. Rent control can temporarily hold down prices for existing tenants, but it does nothing to increase supply. Worse, it discourages new development and pushes landlords out of the game. Fewer units, higher demand, skyrocketing prices—that’s the cycle. It’s math, not politics. The…
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