By Sophie Kasakove | The New York Times
The heightened strain on available housing has strengthened the position of landlords.
“Landlords seem anxious to move tenants out so they can go out and take advantage of those higher rents,” said Zach Neumann, director of the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project in Colorado.
Skyrocketing rents are blunting the effectiveness of emergency rental assistance, the only federal tool remaining for struggling renters, as landlords decide not to extend leases and then raise rents beyond what existing tenants can afford, Neumann said. Other tenants are being displaced as landlords rush to sell buildings amid a booming market.