What Democratic control means for renters

The political landscape in Washington now looks very different after Democrats took control of both houses of Congress and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The change in power will almost certainly result in some big policy shifts, and people who rent their homes are among those who are likely to benefit. With the coronavirus pandemic still keeping many workers off the payrolls, housing advocates say the nation could be on the verge of a homelessness crisis if the federal government doesn’t act.

Proposals to address the issue include an immediate extension of the eviction moratorium for those affected by the pandemic, and longer-term policy changes meant to empower renters and keep their housing situations stable.

Here’s a look at what the new administration could mean for renters.

Expanded eviction protections

Congress approved eviction protection for renters affected by the COVID-19 pandemic last spring and extended that protection through the end of January in the most recent coronavirus relief package.

It’s unlikely that President Joe Biden will allow those protections to expire so soon after the start of his term, so most housing advocates say another extension is as near a certainty as anything can be in politics.

Ava Farkas, executive director of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, a tenants advocacy group in New York, said that she’s hopeful that an eviction moratorium extension will include extra protections for renters as well.

“It needs to be a stronger moratorium,” she said. “We think that leaders in Washington should really look to New York state as an example.”

New York’s latest policy includes provisions that require landlords to notify their tenants about the protections available to them before eviction proceedings begin.

Greater access to affordable housing

Securing an affordable place to live has long been an issue for low-income Americans. With limited vacancies in public housing projects, high demand for subsidized vouchers under the Housing Choice Vouchers program, also known as Section 8, and a patchwork of local initiatives, many people on the financial fringes get pushed out of their homes.

“The new administration has made it a priority to increase access to affordable housing for low-income families, particularly during the pandemic,” said Deborah Thrope, deputy director of the National Housing Law Project.

Biden’s campaign platform included a promise to expand the Section 8 program so that the vouchers would be available to all who qualify. Thrope said currently as few as 20% of eligible applicants actually receive the subsidies.

Possibly more community control over housing

Farkas pointed out that since the 2008 financial crisis, more and more real estate has come under control of large management companies and private equity firms. She said she’s “cautiously optimistic” that the new administration will introduce policies that help bring real estate back into the hands of local residents.

“A silver lining of this crisis is that the issues that renters face have gotten a lot more media coverage over the past year,” she said. “If we want to avoid a huge fallout after this pandemic, the federal government is going to have to step up to help keep renters in their homes.”

Biden has promised a $100 billion affordable housing fund and a $10 billion expansion of the community development block grant program.

Bottom line

The new Biden administration has made big promises when it comes to affordable housing. Advocates recognize that these plans could take time and considerable political muscle to implement, but are hopeful that they will come to fruition.

“If there’s going to be intervention from the government, we want it to be in the direction of greater community control,” Farkas said.