In Santa Monica, rent control has been the law of the land since 1979

Over the next couple of days, we’re going to dig into a key part of our current housing crisis: rising rents. One way cities try to deal with it: rent control. It’s a topic that Angelenos don’t always agree on.

Santa Monica resident Robin Sherry has lived in a rent controlled apartment since 1983.

She credits rent control with allowing her to live a decent life without worry about

whether she’d be able to afford housing. Photo: Saul Gonzalez

Tom Bannon is the CEO of the California Apartment Association, an industry trade

group that represents over 11,000 landlords and property owners in California.

Bannon says rent control imposes on property rights and is counter-productive to

creating more affordable housing. Photo: Saul Gonzalez

Dean Preston is the executive director of Tenants Together, California's only

statewide renters advocacy group. He's a supporter of rent control, comparing housing

to an essential utility that must be regulated by the government.