In today’s housing crisis, what do renters and low-to-moderate-income homeowners have in common? Both groups have been preyed upon by the financial and real estate interests behind the subprime mortgage scandal. Each group is stigmatized in some way: low and moderate income homeowners are being branded as irresponsible, while people who don’t own their homes often are treated as second-class citizens. And yet, homeowners and renters are being pit against each other in the battle over how the government should respond to the current housing crisis.

Low and moderate income homeowners facing foreclosures are being blamed for the downward turn in the housing market. Community advocates who have fought to give more people a path to homeownership are being
targeted as if they, not predatory lenders, are responsible for high foreclosure rates among lower-income homeowners.

Forces on the Right who oppose any government action to help struggling homeowners are sowing resentment among renters. Groups like FreedomWorks tell renters they will lose out if the government steps in. FreedomWorks is a conservative lobby group run by millionaire and billionaire homeowners like Dick Armey and Steve Forbes. FreedomWorks hosts 'angryrenters.com,' a site where renters can vent about the housing crisis and sign a petition opposing legislation to help homeowners. 'Angryrenters' frames their opposition to Congressional action using the theme of personal responsibility, bolstered by anti-government sentiment, in a narrative that goes like this: "The government proposes to reward irresponsible home borrowers and speculators at the expense of fiscally prudent renters."

If only the renters who visit this site would investigate the overall agenda and ideological stances of the site’s sponsors. FreedomWorks opposes all government-sponsored affordable housing measures. They fight against regulations that would rein in the lenders who created bad mortgage products. They oppose basic workers’ rights and public safety laws. They don’t care if low-income homeowners and renters cannot afford heat this coming winter. Before the housing bubble burst, groups like FreedomWorks perpetuated the notion that real Americans own their homes. In short, they are not a renter-friendly group. They just want to use renters for the moment.

To counter the Right’s sudden claims of solidarity with renters, I offer as evidence a recent story from the New York Times. It shows how conservatives enable landlords' dirty tricks. Private investment firms representing financial institutions like the ones who brought us bad mortgage products have been buying up rent-regulated properties in New York City. in order to raise rents and make good on their investments, these firms must get lower-income residents in rent-controlled units to move out. How do they plan to generate higher vacancy rates in buildings with rent-controlled units? By harassing tenants with phony notices of unpaid rent, even when the rent has been paid; by sending false notices of lease termination; by accusing tenants of illegal sublets. The tenants have to show up in court and prove that the accusations are untrue. Many tenants fight back, but the investment firm/landlords are betting that enough tenants will give up or give out, creating significant numbers of vacancies and opportunities for higher rents.

When renters get confused about who is on their side, and who really cares about affordable housing for both renters and homeowners, we should tell them about this story, and similar stories playing out in cities around the country. We also should remind them that the housing bill they are being asked to lobby against contains provisions for helping lower-income renters. These include a proposed Affordable Housing Trust Fund as well as a provision to make grants to communities so that they can buy and rehabilitate vacant properties. These two provisions are among the ones the billionaire lobbyists find most objectionable. President Bush always mentions them in his threats to veto the housing bill.

In today's housing market, renters have plenty to be angry about. So do many homeowners, especially those facing foreclosure, those whose mortgage rates are continuing to go up, and those who are losing equity in their homes. Renters and homeowners should get mad together, and then, together, they should figure out what kinds of changes in the housing market they would like to see, and what role they’d like federal, state and local government to play in bringing about truly affordable housing.

--Sandra Hinson