I have a friend who has lived in the same place for 20 years and has built a family there. They've never missed rent and have been excellent tenants, but nevert

I have a friend who has lived in the same place for 20 years and has built a family there. They've never missed rent and have been excellent tenants, but nevertheless they're being pushed out and the property is being sold to developers. The developers are trying to intimidate my friend and hoping he doesn't know his rights and just leaves quietly - typical prisoner's dilemma final game betrayal that many property managers pull on people. Were it not for the eviction moratorium my friend's family would have to up-end two decades of their life during a pandemic when none of them are vaccinated and one is immunocompromised, while juggling kids and trying to find a job. I understand there are some people taking advantage of these circumstances by not paying rent, but the fact is a lot of people are in pretty dire circumstances right now without many options. Obviously this situation is also terrible for the people highlighted in this piece too and I feel for them - they worked hard and built something from nothing, and highlighting their story is important. I'm of two minds about what to feel about the broader context though, as non-residence real estate is ultimately an investment which carries risks, including unforeseen risks like pandemics. We learned quite recently in the 2008 recession that over-leveraged real estate is a systematic risk, and whether its a pandemic or a financial crisis, it's prudent that investors be able to manage a shock of at least 12 months without rent. Even absent external circumstances, a pipe could burst or another maintenance nightmare could emerge that would make an investment property uninhabitable for a long time. Its very unfortunate that the US has such an investment-oriented view of residential real estate. In times like these, that approach pits people against each other rather than brings us together to better manage the crisis. Housing insecurity is an awful thing to have to deal with, and if everything is simultaneously quantified into 'how much am I going to make/lose', the fabric of society is going to tear.