A Comparison of Renters and Homeowners in Recent Decades

Excerpt: “In the current crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, housing is an important policy issue with a critical relationship to public health. To prevent the spread of illness, people need safe and stable housing. Significant public policies have been enacted to help protect people from being forced to move. Although there have been gaps in both the application and effectiveness of those policies, they have included an eviction moratorium, mortgage forbearance, and indirect assistance in the form of direct stimulus payments.

Furthermore, at the end of December 2020 Congress enacted legislation that included $25 billion in assistance for renters who were behind on their payments. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, recently signed into law, provides an additional $21.6 billion in emergency rental assistance, $10 billion for emergency housing vouchers and homelessness assistance, and $10 billion in assistance for mortgage borrowers.”

Citation: Edelberg, W., Estep, S., Lu, S., & Moss, E. (2021, April). A comparison of renters and homeowners in recent decades. Brookings Institute.

After reading, try to find local community and nonprofit groups working in this area and see how you can get involved. Share this with them. Also, use this to ask questions of decision makers and other local experts. Ask how you can possibly help.