For some of the American middle class, a combination of remote work, staying home, and stimulus checks has allowed them to add some cushion to skinny bank accounts during COVID-19. For many others, though, the pandemic has been a relentless hardship One in seven renters is behind on rent.

In early 2020, Congress allocated $46 billion for renter and landlord assistance. But only about one-tenth of those funds have reached households in payouts that vary wildly state by state, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

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