“this growing gap is leaving some building owners increasingly unable to cover basic operating expenses, which can lead to deferred maintenance and reduced investment in the city’s existing housing stock.

“slowly but surely, landlords have less to invest in their properties.

“the problem goes beyond new construction, arguing that government limits on rents can reduce the number of apartments available and discourage investment in existing properties.

“the index ignores key housing costs such as property taxes, insurance and home prices

“underneath, inflation remained sticky and food prices are undercounted by Bureau of Labor Statistics methods

“And not only do you end up with fewer housing units available, but the quality of those units consistently goes down as well,

“Underlying economic pressures in the U.S. remain stickier than the consumer price index figure released Wednesday implies

“Economists, whether they are on the right or on the left, essentially are in universal agreement, that when the government implements price controls in the rental market, you end up with housing shortages,