Biden Proposes Renters Bill of Rights as Landlords Make Record Profits; Housing Advocates Want More

A new Biden administration plan announced Wednesday aims to make rent more affordable and protect tenants' rights. This comes as rental costs in the United States rose nearly 25% between 2019 and 2022. It also comes as investors bought nearly a quarter of all single-family homes sold in 2021, making home ownership increasingly impossible for people forced to spend much of their money on ever-increasing rent. Housing activists pushed for the Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights" in the administration's finalized plan to regulate predatory rental practices and provide relief for tenants, but say what was ultimately included is full of weak commitments and a lack of federal enforceability, while landlords retain their power to set prices and hoard housing stock. We discuss the affordable housing crisis, tenant organizing and the limits of Biden's new plan with Tara Raghuveer, Homes Guarantee campaign director at People's Action.