Left: Conceptual futuristic modular house of the future. The project uses 3D printing. The frame is made of environmental, ultralight and durable material. Right (Top-Bottom): Tina Rosales, Policy Advocate, Western Center on Law & Poverty (Photo: Twitter); Sara Kimberlin, Senior Policy Analyst, California Budget and Policy Center (Photo: California Budget and Policy Center); Francisco Duenas, Executive Director, Housing Now (Photo: Housing California 2021 Conference).

TL; DR

The beginning of the month is approaching, and rent is due. The pandemic has just started, and the income stream has suddenly been limited or completely stopped. No one knows what’s going to happen and chaos ensues from the Federal level to the community level, and finally individual households. A year into the pandemic, a briefing explains the path forward for Californians, writes Vansh Gupta.

Ethnic Media Services held a briefing, June 24, highlighting the California housing gap and the need for renter’s awareness. Panelists include Tina Rosales, Policy Advocate, Western Center on Law & Poverty; Sara Kimberlin, Senior Policy Analyst, California Budget and Policy Center; Francisco Duenas, Executive Director, Housing Now. A first-person testimony from Chico resident, Larry Halstead, and ChicoSol Editor, Leslie Layton, touch on displacement caused by natural disasters.

Renters

The current situation for renters highlights the disparity and growing concern of renters in the current housing climate.

Some statistics by Francisco Duenas: about 730,000 Californian tenants are behind on rent and about 8 in 10, lost employment during the pandemic. Another staggering statistic pointed out by Duenas: a sum of over $3 billion in rent debt which is about $4,400 rent debt per California household.

The title of this story is ‘Housing is Health’ and Francisco Duenas presented some more staggering statistics about renters and their health. Due to housing instability and rent relief deficit, majority of tenants have reported some form of mental health concern, many household members contracted COVID-19, and many tenants had to curtail essentials to pay rent and there is a very simple explanation for this.

Sara Kimberlin points out that lower-income Californians make up more than 2/3 of the renters’ population, mostly stemming from communities of color. Kimberlin also points out that most renters use a significant chunk of their income to cover rent. On a more personal level, we have witnessed many businesses and residents taking loans, using credit, and draining savings just to make sure rent is paid on time.

The silver lining: California’s Emergency Eviction Protection law prevented an estimated 186,000 COVID-19 cases and 6,000 deaths.

It is apparent California renters deal with many hardships even before the pandemic and there is a significant distinction between a landlord’s attitude towards tenants compared to the community.

Landlords

Landlords can be classified as business owners who own multiple branches providing them with an income stream. To quote Francisco Duenas, “…being a landlord is a business, but you don’t need a business license, at least at the state level, to do that. So, it’s a very unregulated business for landlords.”

Touching on the relationship between landlords and tenants, there seems to be a dissonance between the two. According to statistics presented by Duenas, many renters faced eviction threats, harassment, and actual evictions from landlords despite the moratorium on evictions during the peak of the pandemic. He also pointed out fear was a strong factor in renters opting out of aid.

The Gen-Z Take – Solutions!

Although the housing crisis impacts Californians, it does seem to be a supply and demand curve being played out. As housing becomes more commercialized and is seen as a business opportunity, there will be a stronger push and innovative solutions for affordable housing. Solving the housing problem would require a multi-lens approach.

From a community perspective, advocates push for public land and properties outside of the private market. This would give control to community groups like Land Trust. Another approach is to create a separate market for affordable housing, perhaps we will see this becoming reality if we take cues from the Netherlands.

From an innovation perspective, it seems that sustainable 3D-printed housing can be a viable solution for affordable housing. Another approach would be to create services specifically tailored towards renters. Tina Rosales points out that financial and legal services, easier access to aid with assistance, and better protection against the elements, are feasible solutions to the current challenge.

There are many ways to skin a cat – not particularly my favorite idiom – but the point is that affordable housing is an untapped opportunity with huge returns for people in California.

For now, let’s focus on effectively spending the 5.2 Billion dollars set for rental assistance and hope Governor Newsom serves us right.

As a community, South Asians should also embrace sustainable housing.