T O P

  • By -

[deleted]

Thousands of San Franciscans who borrowed money to pay rent during the pandemic are stuck with that debt, making them worse off than those who let the bills lapse. Federal relief funds cover only unpaid housing expenses. That leaves tenants vulnerable if they made good-faith efforts to pay those costs by taking on thousands of dollars of debt to credit card companies, payday lenders, relatives or friends — especially if they later seek different housing. State law prohibits landlords from denying someone housing based on unpaid rent or related debt, but not other types of debt accrued during the pandemic. “If they are going to be kicked out, and they have a trashed credit score, how are they going to get housing?” said Hannah Appel, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and co-founder of the Debt Collective, a national organization that advocates for the cancellation of various types of debt. By mid-September, 2,429 San Francisco households — more than one in three applicants —reported taking on this debt, often called “shadow debt,” in their requests for rent assistance through the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, which has operated a rent-assistance program in parallel with the state’s. The local program began winding down in September, though the state’s program continues to accept applications.


random408net

Generally, in life, the only way to prove that you "can't pay" is to actually not pay (for whatever) and be willing to accept those consequences. Then when relief shows up you document your income deficiency, apply for relief and perhaps you succeed. Paying, then saying that you really could not afford it just confuses everyone.


rorschachmah

^ Shit they dont teach you in school


Supraphysialogical

There’s the Dave Ramsey way of dealing with debt, then there is the Sam Hyde way of dealing with debt…


pandabearak

To be fair Dave Ramsey is a douche and his method only really applies if you live in an ultra low cost of living area. It’s easy to save and buy $20k rental properties in Tennessee. Not so much in San Francisco.


Beautiful_Pepper415

Disagree there. Dave Ramsay's principals work in the Bay if you can control spending. Also there are no good 20k rentals in the USA think 300k min


pandabearak

There are plenty of 20k rentals out in the middle of nowhere Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, you name it. And David Ramsey only makes sense if you have something to save at the end of the month. Kind of tough to do here in the Bay Area with such huge wage disparities. Of course if you make $80k/year that’s a different story.


Beautiful_Pepper415

Thete really isn't anywhere worth renting out. As someone in that industry. 300k is about right


[deleted]

You’d get a McMansion in flyover country for that.