‘Broke again’

Post Reports

The Biden administration is expected to announce a new action to limit evictions as a federal eviction moratorium expires. But it’s unclear how many people that will help. And, why the expanded child tax credit may not be a silver bullet against poverty.

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Nearly a year and a half into the pandemic, 28 percent of households are struggling to cover basic expenses. More than 11 million renters are behind on payments. One in seven parents are struggling to feed their families. This is all despite a raft of government interventions, including an expanded child tax credit approved in March.

The White House said the expanded child tax credit would cut child poverty by more than 40 percent. But that lofty expectation is crashing into the reality of debt for many people behind on rent and utility bills. Kyle Swenson reports on the potentially blunted impact of those payments for families living with debt, including moms such as Brittany Baker in Ohio.