unemployment benefits. This created a situation under which they could not pay their rent, or they were at risk of soon being unable to pay rent. Some were also at risk of eviction or heavy back-pay fees when eviction moratoriums would be lifted in their states. In June 2020, the Aspen Institute reported that 19-23 million people were at risk of eviction. Based on Census data released on July 22, it was projected that 12 million households could be at risk of evictions, according to Stout, a consulting firm. Meanwhile, unemployed Americans experienced extreme challenges in finding new jobs, as many businesses were closed, laying off workers, or implemented hiring freezes. The $1200 stimulus checks were not enough money to cover rental costs for many Americans. While the $600 weekly checks have helped many tenants stay in their homes, other tenants have accrued rental debt and are at risk of ruined credit, food insecurity, eviction, homelessness. For these reasons, activists called on governments to intervene and provide protections, such as universal basic income, rent freezes, or cancellation of rent. Rental prices Since 2008, many cities have experienced significant increases in rental prices. Meanwhile, workers have often seen stagnant or declining wages, with a large share of job growth in low wage positions that pay "...barely enough to live on," according to a Brookings Institution 2020 report. Minimum wage workers could not afford a 1-bedroom apartment in 95% of U.S. counties, according to a 2020 report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Furthermore, if tenants lived in buildings with private equity landlords, they sometimes saw a decline in maintenance and repairs, growth in various fees, and a business-like casualness in evictions, as private equity firms focused on maximizing returns. With the rise of the coronavirus crisis, tenants expected to see a drop in rental prices. In some cities, such as San Francisco, rental drops did occur. However, in some cities, such as New York City, rental prices have remained largely unchanged or have even increased. From April–May 2020, rental prices in New York City saw no changes, but there was a year-over-year increase of 0.7% in Manhattan and 3.7% in Brooklyn. In one July 2020 interview, an attorney for Legal Aid Society of New York said, “We haven’t seen any changes... Landlords have not been giving any concessions." Meanwhile, home prices did not see significant changes either. Median home prices