July 11, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Pandemic-Induced Rent Debt Crisis Threatens Housing Stability

Low-Wage Workers and Communities of Color Disproportionately Affected

By Dolores Quintana 

Rental debt is an out-of-control problem that has worsened since the Covid 19 pandemic. So many lost their jobs, sometimes only temporarily, some permanently, that rental debt has ballooned in a way that is causing a huge problem that must be dealt with now that local municipalities are ending their Covid protections and the end of the Federal Covid emergency.

Many renters are lower-income workers who cannot save money, live from paycheck to paycheck and are frequently and inordinately people of color. The Supreme Court rejected the Federal emergency eviction moratorium in September 2021, so protections are no longer in place for individuals and families who may have large amounts of back rent that they have no way to pay their landlords.

The danger of mass evictions is real.

In the United States, the estimated total rent debt, according to the National Equity Atlas, is $11,433,200 billion, with $5,271,000 million households who are still behind on rent, with $5,491,000 children in those households that are behind in rent payments. It’s a grand total of 15% of American households who are still behind on rent as of April 1, 2023. 

Of those households who are behind on rent, 66% of those households are people of color, 47% of those households are currently unemployed, 79% of those households are low-income, and 53% of those households have children. By June 2022, 64% of those renters had not applied for rental assistance. Of those households who did apply for assistance, 13% were denied, 12% were granted and received assistance, and 11% were still waiting to hear if they would be granted rental assistance. Most of the households with unpaid back rent are those whose earnings are below $50,000 a year, qualifying them for rental assistance. 

Even before the pandemic, people of color were those who were most likely to be housing insecure. The statistics gathered by the National Equity Atlas show that 46% of Black households were housing insecure, 45% of Latino households were housing insecure, 42% of Native American households were housing insecure, 43% of people in color as a general category were housing insecure, 38% of mixed or other households were housing insecure, 30% of Asian households were housing insecure, and 32% of white households were housing insecure. 

Los Angeles County’s total number of households behind on rent is estimated at 270,810. The total rent debt is estimated at $925,700,000. The rent debt per household is estimated at $3,400, and the number of children in households behind on rent is estimated at 280,900. 

In the city of Los Angeles, it is estimated that there are 133,210 households behind on rent, that there is $425,420,000 in unpaid rental debt, with an estimated $3,200 of rental debt per household and 138,400 children in households that are behind on rental debts. 

In the city of Santa Monica, it is estimated that there are 3,710 households behind on rent, a total of $14,310,000, with an estimated $3,900 of rent owed and 4,100 children in households with unpaid rental debt. Both West Hollywood and the city of Inglewood have estimated totals that are slightly less than Santa Monica, West Hollywood’s total estimated unpaid rent is  $9,250,000 and Inglewood’s is $12,630,000. It is possible that those totals might be slightly less based on rental prices in the other areas, but the true reason for the discrepancy is not known. 

This data comes from the Census Pulse survey and the National Equity Atlas noted that the
2017 American Housing Survey found that about seven percent of renters could not pay some or all of their rent. It is clear that the problem is not new but has been exacerbated by the toll of the pandemic years. The National Equity Atlas explained their methodology here

It seems clear that unless something is done, people in these households are gravely at risk for eviction at some point without any way to pay back rent. This could cause a crisis that would only worsen the current situation of unhoused Americans and is something that must be addressed because, without help, they will have nowhere to turn.

<>Related Posts

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Pier Arson Incidents

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The suspect, matching video footage from an arcade, was taken into custody Santa Monica Police Department officers arrested a suspect...

SMPD Launch New Recruitment Website Amid High Vacancy Rates

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The site features multimedia content, including day-in-the-life videos and officer profiles, highlighting the impact of serving the community The Santa...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

Santa Monica Joins Regional Lawsuit to Halt Unconstitutional ICE Raids

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The motion to intervene seeks to ensure that Santa Monica and other plaintiff-intervenors can advocate for their residents’ rights in...

Promenade Restaurant Introduces Lunch Menu Set at $18 Per Person

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The fixed $18 price point targets commuters and those seeking a power lunch or a change of scenery The restaurant...

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

Saint Monica Prep Students Win Award for Anti-Street Racing PSA Video

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The winning public service announcement, titled “Not Worth It,” was highlighted in a post on X by @LADOTofficial  Students from...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...