<PAGE>

                                                                      Exhibit 24

                               THE ROUSE COMPANY
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
                               -----------------


          KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned directors of
THE ROUSE COMPANY, a Maryland corporation, constitute and appoint ANTHONY W.
DEERING, JEFFREY H. DONAHUE and GORDON H. GLENN, or any one of them, the true
and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact of the undersigned, with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, and with full power and authority (i) to sign
for the undersigned, and in their respective names as directors of the Company,
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
2000 that is to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
Washington, D.C., under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the
regulations promulgated thereunder, and any amendment or amendments to such
Annual Report on Form 10-K, and (ii) to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all acts taken by such
agents and attorneys-in-fact, as herein authorized.

Dated:    February 22, 2001

                                /s/ David H. Benson
                                ------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                                David H. Benson


                                /s/ Jeremiah E. Casey
                                ------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                                Jeremiah E. Casey


                                /s/ Platt W. Davis, III
                                ------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                                Platt W. Davis, III


                                /s/ Anthony W. Deering
                                ------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                                Anthony W. Deering



                                /s/ Mathias J. DeVito
                                ------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                                Mathias J. DeVito


                                /s/ Rohit M. Desai
                                ------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                                Rohit M. Desai
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                               /s/ Juanita T. James
                               -------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                               Juanita T. James


                               /s/ Thomas J. McHugh
                               -------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                               Thomas J. McHugh


                               /s/ Hanne M. Merriman
                               -------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                               Hanne M. Merriman



                               /s/ Roger W. Schipke
                               -------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                               Roger W. Schipke


                               /s/ Gerard J. M. Vlak
                               -------------------------------------------(SEAL)
                               Gerard J. M. Vlak

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