geoff: With the goal of
addressing the nation's soaring
rent prices, the Biden
administration has announced new
a effort to protect tenants and
make renting more affordable.
Laura barron-lopez has more.
Laura: The pandemic left Jessica
Russell eight months behind on
rent.
Laid off, and out of options.
>> The fact that we were
possibly getting evicted, you
know, it became more and more of
a reality and not a possibility.
Laura: Jessica, an art teacher,
and her partner, Nikki, a tattoo
artist and Marine Corps veteran
met here in Baltimore, Maryland
and bonded as creatives.
But in March 2021 they were both
out of work and struggling to
make monthly payments or come up
with cash for costly security
deposits.
>> It was probably one of the
hardest things that I would say
that I've gone through.
You have a family to provide
for, you want to support and,
you know, uphold not only your
spouse, but we have animals.
So all of those types of things
are running through your head of
like, oh, my god, what am I
going to do?
Laura: Facing eviction, they
applied for and received federal
rental assistance through the
nonprofit United Way of central
Maryland.
Eight months of back pay plus
funds for three months rent got
them back on their feet.
Do you ever think at all about
where you would be if that
assistance didn't come through?
>> Absolutely.
I know for sure that we would be
facing hardship.
If we didn't get that assistance
and kind of get that boost
running, we probably would be
facing homelessness.
Laura: But even though she has
work again and housing, Jessica
says roughly half of her income
goes towards rent.
She's not alone.
More than 40% of tenants in
America meet the federal
definition of rent burdened.
Meaning they spend at least 30%
of their income on rent.
The measures she received from
congress, part of some $46
billion over multiple
coronavirus aid package is all
but spent by the state of
Maryland.
That, plus persistent inflation,
rising interest rates, and
supply chain issues in the
construction industry have meant
evictions are creeping back to
pre-pandemic levels.
Jessica worries for herself and
others.
Do you think that your local
elected officials or national
elected officials are doing
enough to help renters like
yourself?
>> Absolutely not.
Laura: The white house recently
outlined regulations and a bill
of rights to make housing more
affordable and to empower
renters like Jessica.
But the immediate impact is
questionable.
Pres. Biden: Housing is a right
in America.
Laura: President Biden vowed to
tackle the housing crisis within
days of taking office.
And after a year of meetings
with industry and tenant
advocates, announced a slate of
actions.
Agencies will begin collecting
data on unfair rental practices
like tenant background checks
and egregious rent increases.
The justice department will
review competition in the
housing market.
And the federal housing finance
agency will explore ways to
protect renters with leases at
federally mortgaged properties.
>> It's the first time in
decades, I think probably the
first time since the great
depression, that the federal
government is acknowledging that
there could be an important
federal role in preventing rent
gouging.
Laura: Diane yentel is the
president of the national low
income housing coalition.
She says the administration took
a first step, but more is
needed.
>> They're not actually
implementing these new
protections now.
They're not even committing to
ensuring that they will.
They're only committing to a
process to consider such
protections.
Laura: The president's proposal
includes a renters bill of
rights, that issues guidelines
for safe, affordable housing,
with fair leases and
anti-discrimination standards.
But it's not enforceable.
Tenant advocates hoped for more
full-throated protections
against price gouging and other
bad practices.
>> One of the really unfortunate
omissions from the announcement
is any administrative action to
hold corporate landlords
accountable for egregious,
predatory and sometimes unlawful
behavior during and since the
pandemic.
>> In 99.9% of the cases in
America, there are good
relations between landlords and
tenants.
Laura: Jerry Howard says most
landlords are working in good
faith to keep their tenants
housed.
He is the CEO of the national
association of homebuilders, a
trade association that
represents landlords, property
managers and builders.
>> During the pandemic, when
renters were at their most
vulnerable, it's been the
landlords of America that with
their own money, with their own
money, were paying the electric
bills, the heating bills, the
air conditioning bills.
And were working with tenants to
make sure that they were not
evicted.
Laura: He says the Biden plan is
misguided, focused too much on
renters, and not on the forces
squeezing the housing market.
>> It's too expensive for
builders, whether the for profit
builders or non-for-profit
builders to build enough low
income housing with the amount
of regulations that are that
they have to comply with.
Laura: That housing shortage is
significant.
At least 1.5 million homes by
the most conservative estimates.
And the demand for affordable
housing far outpaces the supply
of it.
The white house says they will
keep pushing congress.
The president's upcoming budget
proposal will include funding
for veteran's housing for
families like Jessica's.
Remembering how close she came
to being homeless, Jessica said
she hopes the administration's
latest announcement is the
beginning.
>> I think there is a stigma
around the housing crisis.
And I truly, honestly believe
that if there was more of a
balance when it comes to cost of
living, that other people would
have that exact same opportunity
to become successful members of
society.
Laura: Renting for now, Jessica
and Nikki hope to save enough to
buy their own home.
A dream many Americans have had
to postpone due to the high cost
of housing.
>> This goes up to maybe 50 or
60 degrees.
Laura: For pbs newshour, I am
Laura barron-lopez in Baltimore,
Maryland.