Brief Increasing Rental Counseling Capacity and Awareness as a Prescription for COVID-19
John Walsh, Gideon Berger, Janneke Ratcliffe, Sarah Gerecke
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A potential eviction crisis threatens America’s 43.8 million renter households, who were hit harder by the pandemic but received less housing relief than homeowners. This brief examines the evolving state of renters’ housing and financial security, the landscape of rental housing counseling, and the potential for counseling to help renters maintain housing through the pandemic. Based on lessons learned from the Great Recession, we posit that -- with enough resources -- housing counseling agencies could help renters access local emergency funds, navigate complex eviction moratoriums, negotiate with landlords, and budget their dwindling resources. More rental counseling capacity could provide families with tools to avoid eviction, regain housing stability, and stay on the path toward homeownership.

Research Areas Neighborhoods, cities, and metros Social safety net Race and equity Housing finance Housing Wealth and financial well-being
Tags Racial and ethnic disparities Housing and the economy Credit availability Housing affordability Racial barriers to accessing the safety net Racial barriers to housing
Policy Centers Housing Finance Policy Center