Bernie Sanders Voices Clear Support for Rent Control

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) has published on opinion piece for CNN voicing support for rent control, citing personal experience with the policy in youth. Sanders writes: "That most minimal form of economic security was crucial for our family."

The presidential candidate places this support for rent control in context of the larger housing crisis challenging millions of Americans:

Though this is the wealthiest country in human history, wages have stagnated at the same time many locales offer almost no affordable housing. Make no mistake about it: this crisis is enriching Wall Street investors and real estate speculators -- and making it impossible for many families to survive.

Senator Sanders cites the 2018 "State of the Nation's Housing" report [pdf], published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, to describe the housing market, as well as analysis by the New York Times from Fall 2018. Sanders also continues to portray his personal experience with housing and housing policy in contrast with that of President Trump:

In response to this crisis, President Donald Trump has channeled his own life experience as the scion of a family that gave him millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs -- and whose political connections secured him special tax breaks and subsidies. As President, he has used the White House to represent the interests of his fellow real estate moguls.

One key policy proposal included in the op-ed piece is an idea to "significantly expand" the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, to address a shortage of "7.4 million rental homes affordable and available to families with extremely low incomes" (that figure is credited by Sanders to the Low Income Housing Coalition).