With the expiration of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, renters across the country are wondering what to do as eviction moratoriums and expanded unemployment end. This puts rental counselors in a challenging spot. 

Teresa Pucheta had lived alone for years, until a friend with health problems needed a place to stay. She shared her house with him until he died of cancer, she says. "Then I saw the house was kind of lonely. Another friend said: 'There's a place you can get a roommate.'" That's when Pucheta first found out about a house-sharing program at St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, a NeighborWorks network organization in Baltimore, Maryland.

You can't shelter in place if you don't have a place to shelter, says Stacie Birchett, vice president of external affairs at the Better Housing Coalition. The Richmond, Virginia-based NeighborWorks organization is working to ensure their residents are able to keep their housing during a time when many are losing jobs or working fewer hours due to COVID-19. 

NeighborWorks network organizations say they are continuing to hear from residents interested in doing the financial education and credit repair that will help them on a path to buying new homes. But even before March turned to April, housing counselors say they were also receiving calls from residents who were worried about what was going to happen if. If they lost jobs. If they couldn't pay their rent or their mortgage as the COVID-19 virus forced businesses to shut down or scale back.

How can developers, architects and contractors address multifamily housing costs through design and construction decisions? Or, phrased differently, what are the limits or boundaries of cost reduction through design and construction decisions? What parts of the multifamily puzzle can only be addressed through policy or financing changes?

Having poor credit or no credit history at all can have ripple effects for a person who is already in a precarious financial situation. A person's credit history tells a story to lenders, landlords, and service providers; therefore, a poor credit history can make it difficult to find affordable housing, buy a home, or even procure common goods and services such as a cellphone, furniture, or car insurance.