Times have not been good for American renters for a while, but they have never been this bad. In April, a quarter of tenants couldnt pay their full rent; in May, the proportion has risen to nearly a third.

With the economy still frozen and roughly 36 million newly unemployed workers in the last two months, June will likely see that percentage rise even higher.

Government officials at every level have attempted to address the coronavirus-related housing crisis, but so far their efforts offer only partial relief. A temporary pause on evictions has protected millions of renters, but landlords have begun to find loopholes. And rental assistance policies that seemed generous in late March seem meager in early May.

Across the country, tenants are pressuring city politicians to freeze or cancel rent and threatening strikes if they dont get more relief.