Giving Compass' Take:

• Mary K. Cunningham and Abby Boshart at Urban Institute discuss that in order to put an end to rent strikes, federal policymakers could respond by providing relief emergency rental assistance.

• How can donors help address housing insecurity challenges?

• Here's an article on if rent control is the best affordable housing solution. 

In many cities across the country, renters are striking. Hoping to call attention to the desperate need for help, they have refused to pay their landlords—some because they cannot, others in solidarity.

Although striking will not provide any long-term relief—and may jeopardize renters’ financial stability and the stability of housing markets—these actions point to the urgent need for rental assistance. New data from a nationally representative survey of nonelderly adults conducted between March 25 and April 10 show renters were struggling to pay their bills early in the pandemic. Nearly half of renters ages 18 to 64 (47 percent) reported experiencing material hardship in the past 30 days, meaning they couldn’t pay their rent or utilities, were experiencing food insecurity, or couldn’t afford needed medical care.

Among those hardships, it’s clear that the saying “the rent eats first” was holding true. Although roughly 14 percent of renters did not make their full rent payment or paid late, more than one-third were facing food insecurity.

People of color are facing greater difficulties paying rent and other bills, likely because of the disproportionate job loss in their communities. Hispanic and black renters were more than twice are likely as white renters to report being unable to pay their full rent or paying late in the past 30 days (20 percent and 21 percent versus 8 percent). These effects will only further entrench racial disparities if people are left without help.

Read the full article about rent strikes during COVID-19 by Mary K. Cunningham and Abby Boshart at Urban Institute.