Targeting housing assistance to the states hit hardest by COVID-19

A new research brief from the Urban Institute ranks states’ on how hard their housing markets were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and provides framework for delivering targeted housing assistance to those places. The rankings consider the share of rent-burdened households, the share of renters of color who missed or deferred rent, the delinquency rate, and the unemployment rate. Based on these statistics, states were assigned an aggregate ranking score. The aggregate ranking score for Maine is 46, placing it in the bottom quintile, or among the least-hard-hit statewide housing markets. Based on these scores the five hardest-hit states are New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Florida, and Nevada. #covid-19 #housing