Join the Urban Institute and the Urban–Greater DC Initiative for a virtual discussion on strategies for promoting housing stability during an economic downturn as the eviction moratoria end in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region.

In the wake of COVID-19, the long-standing affordable housing crisis weighs heavily on renters in Washington, DC, and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia counties. Unemployment rates have skyrocketed, leaving millions of DMV renters struggling to pay rent and driving housing instability. Moratoria will likely end in 2021, back rent will be due, and local renters will continue to struggle with payments as the economic fallout of COVID-19 extends. Past and present racist housing and employment policies exacerbate disparities and risks for people of color, driving the risk of eviction even higher for Black and Latinx renters during and after the pandemic.

Panelists will discuss the DMV’s current housing instability and explore the impacts of lifting the eviction moratorium during the current economic landscape. The conversation will focus on potential policy solutions—such as cancelling rent—for promoting housing stability, preventing a wave of evictions, and contributing to a more equitable recovery in the region.