This articles explores trends with private equity homeownership increasing, HUD assisted housing having increasing evictions, and San Francisco increasing homelessness program oversight. The House Financial Services Committee’s survey revealed significant growth in private equity homeownership through large single-family rental companies between March 2018 and September 2021. These acquisitions were concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, many with substantial Black populations and higher rates of single mothers. This trend highlights broader concerns about the impact of corporate landlords on housing markets, including higher eviction rates compared to smaller landlords, prompting calls for legislative and policy interventions at state and federal levels to address these issues.

The survey conducted by the National Housing Law Project highlights concerning trends regarding evictions among HUD-assisted housing tenants post-pandemic. According to the findings, 83% of attorneys representing these tenants report that eviction filings have either returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels. A critical issue identified is the failure of many public housing authorities to re-evaluate tenants’ income levels despite widespread job losses during the pandemic. This means tenants did not benefit from rent reductions based on reduced incomes as allowed by HUD guidelines. The evictions could have been avoidable with better administrative practices surrounding HUD-assisted tenants. 

San Francisco introduced a ballot referendum directed at establishing an oversight commission for its homelessness agency, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (DHSH). This commission would establish significant authority over DHSH’s substantial $700 million annual budget. Its powers would include the approval or rejection of third-party contracts and the ability to initiate investigations into the agency’s operations. The intended goal was to allow for more efficient and transparent use of funds.