The paper additionally notes that Philadelphia’s Eviction Diversion Program, adopted in September 2020, helped renters and landlords entry help. A side of this system makes landlords enroll within the diversion program and apply for hire help earlier than submitting an eviction for nonpayment.

Additionally in Philadelphia, information collected from eviction filings discovered that 96 p.c of tenants who had authorized illustration averted an involuntary transfer or evictions.

The examine additionally particulars experiences of renters within the commonwealth who had been unable to entry assist or had been even taken benefit of by their landlords.

The paper provides coverage ideas to ease the burden for renters.

Doable short-term options embrace eviction diversion applications in county courts, focusing extra on serving to renters apply for help, increasing eligibility no matter immigration standing and allocating unused American Rescue Plan Act funds to hardest hit counties.

Lengthy-term coverage options embrace a state-funded “proper to counsel” program for renters in danger for eviction, crafting laws to finish evictions with out “good trigger,” funding a long-term emergency rental help program and offering funds for creating extra reasonably priced housing.

Ty Redden is an assistant professor of Africana Research at Gettysburg School, who makes a speciality of housing, social coverage, and concrete governance failures. She was not concerned within the examine.

After reviewing it, she mentioned it gave the impression to be sound and correct.

“I used to be not shocked by the outcomes of the examine; it’s pretty typical throughout the nation,” Redden mentioned. “This isn’t a Pennsylvania downside, this can be a United States downside, and the pandemic is simply squeezing people who find themselves already being squeezed too tight by our present financial disparities.”

Redden famous the examine highlights the precarious conditions of tons of of 1000’s of renters.

“We’re speaking nearly a 3rd of Pennsylvania renters are making lower than 20 grand a yr,” Redden mentioned. “It’s greater than regarding, it’s terrifying.”

Terry Lerch, a landlord of a number of residential properties in Lebanon County, mentioned he feels that the method tenants needed to undergo to obtain COVID-19 rental help cash was too prolonged and never person pleasant.

However Lerch mentioned he strongly disagrees with the examine’s coverage suggestion of offering a common proper to authorized counsel to tenants (and never additionally landlords). He additionally takes difficulty with sealing eviction data of tenants.

“If somebody isn’t paying hire, then landlords aren’t getting earnings, they need to get a lawyer too,” Lerch mentioned. “Sealing (eviction) data is completely unsuitable after I can get a credit score rating to see if somebody has a spotty credit historical past.”