Rent-control flip adds insult to small landlords' injury

Mayor Carter:

As small landlords, we would like to know why you would support a damaging measure like St. Paul's 3% cap on rents (and all the restrictions that come with it), but when the multimillion-dollar developers call and tell you they are going to place their housing projects on hold, you decide you will exempt them from the measure.

Mayor Carter, you are a hypocrite.

We are two sisters who got into the rental business in St. Paul more than 30 years ago when we bought our triplex. We also operate two apartment buildings in St. Paul that we have owned for nearly 20 years.

We've made it our mission to keep our rents affordable. Two-thirds of our tenants have lived in our buildings for five years or more. We have tenants who have been in our buildings for more than 15 years and two who have been tenants for 20-plus years. Most of the residents of these buildings are low-moderate income; the majority are people of color. Our rents for a one-bedroom average $700 a month.

We drive old cars. We both have jobs. We are not rich landlords. Our rent increases average $25 a month. This has been enough to cover increases in property taxes, fuel costs, etc. Due to the 3% rent control measure, we won't be able to charge the $25 rent increase — because we offer affordable rents.

We are galled when we see a mayor who decries the lack of affordable housing yet consistently approves high-end housing where rent for each 400-square-foot studio apartment far surpasses the highest rent we charge for a one-bedroom. A mayor who is now willing to give a free pass on rent control to multimillion-dollar developers and leave small landlords to face bankruptcy or sell their buildings because they can't raise rents to meet rising inflation and the high property taxes and fuel costs.

You are not a mayor who cares about fair and equitable housing or homelessness. If you were, you would have talked to the people on the front lines — the small landlords who are the backbone of affordable housing. If you had done that, you never would have supported this damaging rent-control measure, nor would you be willing to cut a deal with big developers now.

Jeanne and Sue Rohland are St. Paul landlords.