Price manipulation is illegal - wish progressives would focus more on legal recourse (up to and including our attorney general, who is supposed to be safeguard consumer rights, bringing some class action suits against these f’ing cartels).

I also wish we would start decommodifying housing by banning short term rentals (that alone would do more to increase housing availability than any other proposal over the next 5-10 years).

The "Conservative" council is the result of having an ineffectual, ego-driven, drama-ridden council during a very difficult period for the City of Seattle and the world at large. Four years ago, the city was a mess, we were in a pandemic, there were civil disturbances almost weekly, and the former Mayor was a fool. The folly that was CHOP was the final nail in the coffin. The people wanted new leadership, and they voted accordingly.

It's great to advocate for liberal causes. Liberal programs are part of what makes Seattle a great city. But as a council member - and especially on a council with districts - you have to take care of business. They didn't do that, and the chickens came home to roost.

And I'll just quietly murmur that I have quietly murmured this for years.

If you want a bunch of unruly competitors to those mega landlords, support your local mom and pop. They rarely have access to so-call price fixing software, and are often happy to trade somewhat below market rents for a quality long term tenant.

Low wages also reduce demand, which is why austerity sends local economies into downward spirals.

I agree in general with the article but OMG please focus on the real cause of high rent rather than distracting people. RealPage might have some minor impact but the real cause of high rents is that Seattle does not allow enough housing to be built for all the people moving here. (And for anyone thinking "Hell they're building plenty of apartments and my rent keeps going up." That is because all the new housing still has not kept up with the tremendous increase in Seattle's population.) And Harrell plans through the up-for-renewal Comprehensive Plan to keep it that way. Mr. Mudede, I am a renter and I agree there's a terrible problem with rents but please focus on what really matters.

You claim to be an economist, right? Do you really think that high rents are not simply explained by operation of supply and demand on a market that is several hundred thousand units short of housing? Do you really need to look any further than that for an explanation? When we were in the building boom a few years ago and there were fliers on phone poles offering $95/hr for electricians, was that also some political conspiracy?