SEATTLE City Council members and candidates should stop talking about rent control.
Rents have skyrocketed in recent years and it’s understandable why leaders and candidates would consider restricting rent increases. But it is a failed policy in other cities, and it’s against state law.
Yet, at least two City Council members, Kshama Sawant and Nick Licata,are sponsoring a resolution to pursue a change in state law that would allow rent control. That’s a highly unlikely scenario, but the council is expected to take up the measure in September.
The resolution includes statistics that are meant to be distressing, such as the fact that rents for one-bedroom apartments rose nearly 11 percent between 2010 and 2013.