A Worsening Crisis in Housing

Throughout 2021, I heard many stories about people’s rent raising drastically, pricing them out of their apartments. They were evicted by their landlords, and forced to find new housing. This, of course, came at an awful time, as we were still grappling with employment issues as a result of COVID. Due to the price of rent, mortages, other necessary expenses, and other problems that can arise, finding new housing could be difficult, or nearly impossible.

However, this is not the only facet creating this crisis. A relatively new issue has developed, as corporations have bought more and more houses to put them up for rent. This decreases the size of the housing market, making it even more difficult to buy a house. It alsoforces more people into renting, giving corporations power over the housing market. This also forces people into renting situations, where the price fluctuations can leave tenants under fear of eviction.

These factors are making it very difficult for people to survive during one of the most difficult periods of this century. One reason in particular that these housing issues are important is found in “The Rent Eats First, Even in a Pandemic.” In that opinion article, the author explains that rent grows almost arbitrarily year by year. All of these problems have been created by the rich to take away our power, and give it ot them instead. Action must be taken to reduce the burden landlords and corporations are placing on Americans, and ensure we are protected against threats like this in the future.