the pandemic hit, he stopped because he couldn't leave his daughter home alone. He fell behind on rent and is facing eviction. Lynsey Weatherspoon for NPR hide caption

toggle caption Lynsey Weatherspoon for NPR

Mehran Mossaddad is a single dad who drives Uber for a living. But when the pandemic hit, he stopped because he couldn't leave his daughter home alone. He fell behind on rent and is facing eviction.

Lynsey Weatherspoon for NPR

Back in March, Congress approved nearly $50 billion in aid for people who need rental assistance to avoid eviction. At the same time a federal moratorium on evictions is expected to be extended till the end of the July.

That moneygoes to the states, and then onto counties and cities where different programs are popping up to take applications and write checks to renters and landlords. It's gone relatively well in some places, but an estimated 7 million Americans are still behind on rent. And even just the threat of eviction is making it harder for them to find a place to live.

NPR's Chris Arnold spoke with families who have received assistance and those who are still hoping to. Through his reporting he found evidenceacross the country of a disparate impact on Black renters.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This episode was produced by Lee Hale and Brent Baughman. It was edited by Sami Yenigun with help from Wynne Davis and Rafael Nam. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.

Northern California
Public Media Newsletter

Get the latest updates on programs and events.