Census: 7 Million Americans Are Behind on Rent

With the federal eviction moratorium due to expire at the end of the month and rent relief programs failing to reach those who need it most, an eviction crisis still looms.

1 minute read

June 13, 2021, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Coronavirus

Allen J.M. Smith / Shutterstock

[Updated June 14], 2021] Chris Arnold reports on the new confluence of pressures on the nation's renters as the pandemic recedes even as the economic destruction lingers.

The article reports the number of U.S. renters falling behind on payments and at risk of eviction—a figure Planetizen has been monitoring since the outset of the pandemic and the economic shutdown that followed closely on the heels of COVID-19 to U.S. shores.

The most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the number of Americans behind on rent at 7 million. That current figure is all the more pressing due to the scheduled expiration of the eviction moratorium by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention at the end of the month—a measure of protection despite legal setbacks and threat of expiration (the moratorium has already been extended on several occasions).

As shared on Planetizen in May, the federal government's large allotments of rent relief during the pandemic are arriving too late because of bureaucratic logjams. Arnold's article starts with an anecdote from a renter experiencing exactly this scenario and explores the consequences of the inefficiency of rent relief during the pandemic.

Thursday, June 10, 2021 in NPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

2 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

3 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

4 hours ago - Bloomberg