Affordable Housing

VIDEO: Rent control advocate left speechless

Robert Fellner

Check out this incredible video by John Stossel on rent control, where he leaves an advocate of rent control literally speechless after asking a basic question about the effects of rent control on new housing:

Rent control is a failed policy idea that will only make housing less affordable in the long run. If Nevada politicians really want to help, they should make it easier to build new homes and apartment buildings, which is the best way to make housing affordable for all. In Washoe County, rent and housing prices are inflated in large part due to government licensing and permitting fees that can add an additional $30,000 to $40,000 to the cost of building a new home. Those kinds of fees should be cut in half.

In addition to fees, however, local governments also impose an array of onerous compliance regulations that further increase costs. In fact, some developers report that simply complying with all the various levels of bureaucracy can delay the construction process by a full two years which, once again, means less supply and higher prices. Reducing or eliminating those barriers is the best way elected officials can help renters out. Rent control will only make things worse, as it has everywhere else it has ever been tried.

For more on rent control, please see the additional resources listed below:

Robert Fellner

Robert Fellner

Policy Director

Robert Fellner joined the Nevada Policy in December 2013 and currently serves as Policy Director. Robert has written extensively on the issue of transparency in government. He has also developed and directed Nevada Policy’s public-interest litigation strategy, which led to two landmark victories before the Nevada Supreme Court. The first resulted in a decision that expanded the public’s right to access government records, while the second led to expanded taxpayer standing for constitutional challenges in Nevada.

An expert on government compensation and its impact on taxes, Robert has authored multiple studies on public pay and pensions. He has been published in Business Insider, Forbes.com, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, RealClearPolicy.com, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Examiner, ZeroHedge.com and elsewhere.

Robert has lived in Las Vegas since 2005 when he moved to Nevada to become a professional poker player. Robert has had a remarkably successfully poker career including two top 10 World Series of Poker finishes and being ranked #1 in the world at 10/20 Pot-Limit Omaha cash games.

Additionally, his economic analysis on the minimum wage won first place in a 2011 George Mason University essay contest. He also independently organized a successful grassroots media and fundraising effort for a 2012 presidential candidate, before joining the campaign in an official capacity.