The Supreme Court could soon consider a case that may potentially end all rent control laws in the United States. News of this development has sparked discussions on the rising cost of living, particularly in New York, where housing prices have contributed significantly to the staggering 677.46% increase since 1970, as per 2013dollars.com.
This case comes with several ethical issues, centering around Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who have reportedly received gifts from landowners with interests in the matter. A decade prior, a similar case brought by James Harmon concerning New York’s rent stabilization law was denied a hearing by the Supreme Court, as it informed The Tenant at that time.
If the Court chooses to overturn rent control now, the implications could be enormous, especially for New York citizens, leading to mass displacement, homelessness, and overcrowding, as noted by Samuel Stein, a housing policy analyst at the Community Service Society, in an interview featured on Lever News.
The Roberts Court’s potential decision to do away with rent control, despite over 50 years of precedent, reflects a shift in respect for stare decisis as seen in recent cases Dobbs and Bruen. The final decision on whether to hear the case should be known by the end of September.