Here are some facts from a book, 'Landlording in Ontario':
- Ontario’s population grew by 3.8 million between 1991 and 2016. 21,000 purpose-built rental units were constructed during the same period. A chart in the book cites Ontario Private Rental Starts:
- 1970 - about 25,000
- 1972 - about 40,000
- 1973 - about 26,000 gov't talks about rent control
- 1974 - about 15,000
- 1975 - about 4,000
- 1992 - about 3,000 gov't starts talking about tightening rent control
- 1995 - about 800
An American Economic Review poll of economists found 93% of respondents believed, “A ceiling on rents reduces the quantity and quality of housing available.” Nobel laureate Gunnar Myrdal, a ‘leftist’ architect of the Swedish Labour Party’s welfare state said, “Rent control … the worst example of poor planning by governments lacking courage and vision.” Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck, asserted, “… rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing."