Poll: More renters falling behind as economic toll of COVID spreads in Massachusetts
Homeowners better off for now, but many say they will fall behind as the crisis extends.
Between April and June, 29% of renters in Massachusetts missed paying at least some rent. Renters disproportionately fall into demographic groups who have borne the brunt of the coronavirus crisis, including younger people, part time and hourly workers, people with lower incomes and education levels, and people of color. Owing to these socio-economic differences, far fewer homeowners (13%) have missed payments so far, although more say they will fall behind as time goes on.
The state’s moratorium on rental evictions is set to expire in August. Just 21% of renters who have missed a payment say it is “very likely” they will be able to catch up by then. Rates of missed rental payments are likely to climb further by then, with more renters expecting to miss payments the longer the crisis extends (see chart below).
These are some of the key findings of a major new survey of Massachusetts residents on housing and economic issues. The survey was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group and sponsored by The Boston Foundation, Beacon Communities, Preservation of Affordable Housing, The Community Builders, Trinity Financial, and Winn Companies. The findings of the survey, along with policy responses, will be discussed during the webinar, “How Do We Avoid Another Foreclosure Crisis?”, on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 11:00 am EST. Registration is free and open to the public.
“This is a compound crisis” said Steve Koczela, president of The MassINC Polling Group. “It started with a public health emergency, but economic challenges and housing issues are piling up and deepening longstanding socio-economic divides.”
Since the crisis began, part-time and hourly workers have experienced far more economic hardship. Among part-time workers, 57% report losing wages since the crisis began, compared to 29% of full-time workers. Renters and those who live in lower-income households are more likely to be furloughed or unemployed. Part-time workers, young people, and those with lower levels of educational attainment are also more likely to say they have missed a rent or mortgage payment (see chart below).
These cleavages help explain why renters are having a harder time keeping up than homeowners. The pain goes beyond just housing; 29% of renters reporting struggles with getting enough food, compared to 12% of homeowners. Food insecurity is concentrated in the same demographic groups as housing and employment challenges—younger people, people of color, and those with lower levels of education and income.
Residents support a range of policy responses, including requiring mortgage lenders to modify terms for those who have lost jobs and income (83%), rent support (84%), extending the eviction moratorium (75%), and building /improving affordable housing. They also support construction of affordable housing (77%) and mixed income housing (69%) in their own communities.
About the Poll: These results are based on a survey of 1,531 Massachusetts residents. Responses were collected via online survey interviewing May 20-25, 2020. Final survey data was weighted to known and estimated parameters for the state’s 18+ population by age, gender, race, education, geography, and party identification. This project was sponsored by The Boston Foundation, Beacon Communities, Preservation of Affordable Housing, The Community Builders, Trinity Financial, and WinnCompanies.