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I’m excited to share the first report from our @USCPriceCSI @USCPrice #LARentBurden neighborhood survey, “How do Renters Cope with Unaffordability,” led by me, @sdegregorio @angstondeck and @GaryDeanPainter
http://socialinnovation.usc.edu/rent-burden/
Thread on what we did + found
1/14
http://socialinnovation.usc.edu/rent-burden/
Thread on what we did + found
1/14
Takeaway: We show that widespread economic precarity existed even before #COVID19 for LA renters, who were already cutting back on basic needs to make rent. We cannot just return to our pre-pandemic status quo. We must #EaseTheBurden on renters
http://socialinnovation.usc.edu/rent-burden/
2/14
http://socialinnovation.usc.edu/rent-burden/
2/14
We surveyed 794 households in 2019. We went door-to-door to a randomized set of addresses across Central and South LA to understand how renters cope w/ high rents—an important question since over half of LA residents are renters. #EaseTheBurden #LARentBurden #UnaffordableLA 3/14
Our fieldwork involved 794 in-person, 50 min surveys in Spanish and English with LA renters. We worked with an incredible team of 50 undergraduate and graduate @USC students. #LARentBurden surveys were conducted in @LAPromiseZone in Central LA and @LA_SlateZ in South LA. 4/14
Rent burden is pervasive: most renters pay a large share of total income on rent (includes utilities).
Nearly 3 in 4 (73%) households (hh) were rent-burdened, paying >30% of hh income on rent. Nearly half (48%) were severely rent-burdened, paying >50% of hh income on rent. 5/14
Nearly 3 in 4 (73%) households (hh) were rent-burdened, paying >30% of hh income on rent. Nearly half (48%) were severely rent-burdened, paying >50% of hh income on rent. 5/14
Latinx and Black hh were more likely to be rent-burdened than White + Asian hh. Hh surveyed in Spanish were more likely to be rent-burdened than hh surveyed in English. Hh with lower education levels and/or fewer working adults were more likely to be rent-burdened. 6/14
Residents cited deep impacts from rent pressure: a large share of LA renters have cut back on basic needs such as food (60%), clothing (45%), and entertainment (45%) in order to make rent. 45% also took on additional debt to make rent. We have to #EaseTheBurden #LARentBurden 7/14
The cutbacks and adjustments households make to afford rent aren’t temporary. Over 25% of surveyed renters had permanently cut back on essentials like food + medicine to make rent—cutbacks that deeply impact their lives. We must #EaseTheBurden #UnaffordableLA #LARentBurden 8/14
Renters were extremely vulnerable to an economic shock—even before #COVID19
1 in 5 surveyed LA residents reported being unable to pay for an unanticipated $400 expense. Respondents from rent-burdened hh were less likely than non-rent-burdened to be able to pay (8% vs 23%). 9/14
1 in 5 surveyed LA residents reported being unable to pay for an unanticipated $400 expense. Respondents from rent-burdened hh were less likely than non-rent-burdened to be able to pay (8% vs 23%). 9/14
Current efforts to protect renters, in + beyond LA, must address the deep, foundational rental market issues driving urban unaffordability. Returning to a pre- #COVID status quo is not enough. We need significant + multi-faceted intervention to #EaseTheBurden #LARentBurden 10/14
Immediately: stimulus checks, extend + enforce #eviction moratoria, protect small landlords. Long-term: 1) structural changes in land use + housing policy to build housing, expand the voucher program, address housing discrimination; and 2) strengthen the social safety net. 11/14
This report is just the beginning of our work! We asked about housing history, living arrangements/conditions, neighborhood factors, health/stress, etc. Stay tuned for further analyses from our #LARentBurden project. Find the full report + more at http://socialinnovation.usc.edu/rent-burden/ 12/14
Finally, this #LARentBurden work would not have been possible without the generous support of the Haynes Foundation and the @LuskCenter and collaborations with @LAPromiseZone @LA_SlateZ @CDTech @CoCoSouthLA @SCOPE_LA @SAJE_ShiftPower @EsperanzaCHC and @TRUSTSouthLA1 13/14
If you, or anyone you know in CA, are fighting to say in your home during #COVID19 there are policies in place to protect you. This flyer explains the protections ensured under AB3088. Thanks @LATenantsUnion and @angstondeck for this great resource. 14/14
