> I dont understand what the argument of this article is. As someone who has tried to maintain a blue collar job in a large city (im an engine mechanic) Its nearly impossible to live anywhere near your job without rent control.

Therein lies the problem. Rent control is not the only way to make housing affordable to low-income people. It's not the most efficient or effective way, either.

But it persists, because politically it's an easy concept (even if it's an ineffective one), and it also creates a stable voting bloc that will protect it, even if they don't actually need the rent control[0].

[0] In most places, rent control isn't means-tested, so you can end up with incredibly wealthy people living in very valuable properties for next to nothing. Ed Koch, the former mayor of NYC with a net worth of about $10 million, died living in a multimillion dollar penthouse apartment that he rented for $300/month, because the apartment was subject to rent control.