The question raised by the article isn't why people don't pay their rent; it is why the number of people not paying their rent has increased. Occam's Razor sugg

The question raised by the article isn't why people don't pay their rent; it is why the number of people not paying their rent has increased. Occam's Razor suggests that the most likely reason is also the simplest one: that prices have risen much faster than wages, making even fixed rents less affordable.