The United States is facing an affordable housing crisis. Although the past decade has seen a growth in the number of renters in the United States, this growth has been marked by persistent affordability challenges. Rents have dramatically outpaced wage increases, leading to more and more cost-burdened households. And, most recently, COVID-19 has exposed the limited legal protections available for renters.

In this episode, host Matthew Martinez Hannon interviews ABF Research Professor Anna Reosti about her sociolegal research examining the consequences of modern background screening practices for rental housing access. Then, Matthew is joined by Jennifer Litwak, Executive Director of Housing on Merit, a nonprofit organization with the mission to create a bridge to permanent affordable housing for vulnerable populations. Both Anna and Jennifer speak about what access to affordable housing looks like across the country, the obstacles facing low-income renters, and how the pandemic is impacting the way people rent.

Read the full episode transcription: http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/uploads/cms/documents/episode_2_transcription.pdf

Additional Resources:

Read “The Costs of Seeking Shelter for Renters With Discrediting Background Records” by Anna Reosti: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15356841211012483?journalCode=ctya
Visit Housing On Merit at housingonmerit.org
Visit the Housing Innovation Collaborative: housinginnovation.co

Season One Finale: When Law Meets Society

Whose Law Is It Anyway?By American Bar FoundationMar 23, 2022