Will eliminating rent-controlled units actually reduce crime? Realtor.com is reporting that a new working paper from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology show this to be the case. According to the study, after rent control was ended in Cambridge, MA, in 1995 the city saw a 16% reduction overall crime. That percentage correlated to around 1,200 fewer crimes per year. Not too shabby.
“A drop in the number of property crimes (including burglary and shoplifting) and public disturbances (including vandalism, prostitution and trespassing) was largely responsible for the reduction in crime overall in Cambridge during that time. Researchers also reported fewer violent crimes, such as murder, sexual assault and robbery. The decrease in crime was also most acutely felt in the neighborhoods with the highest share of rent-controlled apartments.”
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