Why Not Housing for All Groups?

I don’t think your Sept. 7 article was quite fair to tenants. In the first place, rent control was established because many (not all) greedy landlords were raising rents unconscionably, and evicting tenants to raise rents. I personally knew two people who were evicted, and not for being delinquent on their rent.

I moved to my apartment in February, 1977, and paid $250 for a one-bedroom, a fair rent--in fact slightly higher than comparable apartments. Today I am paying about $440, which is affordable for me as I am on a rather low income. If we lost rent control, or I was forced to move for some reason, there would be no place for me to move either here in Santa Monica or anywhere in the city of Los Angeles.

The increase in the price of rentals in the last 10 years is beyond all reason. After building only luxury apartments and condominiums instead of affordable housing, the landlords have the tenants over a barrel. Let’s face it--people have to live somewhere! Why could we not have a mix of housing for low-, middle- and high-income people.

Many of the landlords who own multiple properties and choose to keep an apartment vacant instead of renting it are doing it to show their defiance and resentment of rent control laws. I don’t weep for them, they are busy accepting bribes for the few vacancies that do occur.

There are lots of inequities in life, but I don’t think Santa Monica landlords are suffering. As a group I think they are doing just fine!

CHARLOTTE BERNARD

Santa Monica