Almost everyone looks with disfavor on slums. In certain areas of any city, one sees housing conditions that are distressing to say the least. Several families may be using the same bath and toilet facilities. Two or more families may be living in the same apartment. The buildings and apartments may be in various states of disrepair. Why do people live in them? Usually these are as much as lower-income families can afford. Some people think that this situation should be changed. They could not agree with the fact that so many families, of three people with one employed, cannot afford at least one-bedroom-apartment, and with time they urged the government to change this situation and to take control over the rent prices. According to Ansel Sharp, “In the United States, following World War II, numerous cities elected to continue rent controls established during the war” (68). The main purpose of rent control is to support lower-income residents. The most well known example of such control is undoubtedly that of New York City, which has some of the strictest rent control in the country. By analyzing the actual effect of the controls, we certainly could conclude that the local government should abandon rent controls in New York City because market tends to react in ways that offset the intended impact of that action. Such control may involve consequences that are clearly unintended. The first unintended problem generated by the rent control is housing shortage. In other words, the demand for rent-controlled apartments overcomes the surplus. That is why so many individuals and even families are forced to share the same apartment. Many young adults encounter difficulty finding an apartment when they decide to leave the family home and to start their independent lives. The chance of finding a job in a big city is greater than in a small town. That is why so many people tend to live in New York City. In most cases, searches for re...
