Monday letters: Keep state ban on rent-controlled apartments

The Sun-Times was absolutely correct in its editorial published Feb. 7 titled “A better idea than rent control for the Logan Squares,” because rent-control policies are widely rejected by economists and housing policy experts irrespective of their ideology. First, low-income renters are too often not the beneficiaries. Higher-income renters become the unintended recipients. Second, rent control discourages investment and shrinks the quantity of available homes. And third, the quality of rental homes will ultimately deteriorate when proper investment cannot be made, which leaves those who seek affordable housing with a dwindling number of options.

Adding to these universal concerns, the city of Chicago presents its own set of unique challenges to owners of properties from high-rises to two-flats. As property tax rates are scheduled to continue expanding by hundreds of millions of dollars, new taxes continue to be levied to pay for suffocating debt, and fees for necessities like water usage and garbage collection increase, nobody should be surprised by the financial pressure applied to the cost of monthly rent.

The Chicagoland Apartment Association represents members who have made rental housing their life’s work, and based on their years of experience, we will always oppose rent-control laws that shrink the quantity and diminish the quality of affordable housing options.

Michael Mini, Chicagoland Apartment Association

A conservative’s hypocrisy

In her column “Hollywood celebs’ textbook hypocrisy” (Feb. 9), S.E. Cupp belittled the idea that the nomination of our unqualified secretary of education, Betty DeVos, was a “war on children.”

Cupp, who in her book “Losing our Religion: The Liberal Media’s Attack on Christianity” discussed at length the non-existent “war on Christmas,” seems to be the real hypocrite.

Don Anderson, Oak Park

Warm welcome for endangered monkey

It was very encouraging to read about an endangered Francois’ langur monkey being born in the friendly and comfortable confines of the Lincoln Park Zoo (Feb.9). Chicago’s two wonderful zoos are renowned for being safe, attentive and peaceful havens for many imperiled species including primates. These invaluable creatures are being protected from the cruel hunting, poaching and habitat destruction that threatens them to the verge of extinction in their violent homelands.

Brien Comerford, Glenview

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