Season Two Schedule
Episode One | February 14, 2022
Evicted: A Suburban Story
The place with the highest eviction rate in the Bay Area during the pandemic wasn't a big city like Oakland or San Francisco — instead it was a suburb that has been radically transformed by housing crisis after housing crisis. Antioch, a city on the outskirts of the Bay saw an influx of Black and brown folks who moved from big cities to the suburbs. In our first episode, we visit a neighborhood in Antioch with a high concentration of evictions.
Episode Two | February 21, 2022
The Color of Evictions
Evictions do not affect everyone equally. Black renters, and Black women in particular, are more likely to be evicted than white renters. This episode looks at what’s driving these disparities, including racist housing policies and predatory home lending practices.
Episode Three | February 28, 2022
The Landlord’s Game
The decision to evict someone can affect them and their ability to find stable housing for years. And it’s a decision that gives landlords a lot of power. In this episode we explore when and why landlords decide to evict. We also look at the shift in property owners in recent years, from small “mom and pop” owners, towards more investors and corporations, and what that means for tenants and our housing system.
Episode Four | March 7, 2022
Landlord vs Tenant
When it comes to eviction court, tenants are far less likely than property owners to be represented by an attorney. That makes it especially difficult for them to understand their rights and navigate the complex system. The right to counsel is something that tenant advocates are pushing for across the country. We’ll visit New York, where this movement took off, and we’ll go to Fresno in California’s Central Valley, where rents are rising.
Episode Five | March 14, 2022
The Rent Eats First
Falling behind on rent is the primary reason that people are evicted. So how do you keep people from falling behind in the first place? Help them pay their rent. Housing advocates have proposed making Section 8 vouchers available for everyone who needs them. We’ll look at the promise, the problems and the history of Section 8, as well as the push for guaranteed income.
About the Hosts
Molly Solomon is a housing affordability reporter at KQED where she has covered homelessness, evictions and housing policy. Her coverage of a group of mothers who occupied an empty house in Oakland, California to protest housing speculation was featured on NPR and other national outlets. Her reporting in Oregon and Hawaii has earned Molly three national Edward R. Murrow awards.
Erin Baldassari reports on California’s housing shortage and affordability crisis for KQED. She has documented how the affordability crisis has caused extreme commutes, transportation changes and development fights. Erin won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 with the East Bay Times.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. kqed.org
San Francisco, CA — KQED’s housing podcast SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America is back with a new season starting Monday, February 14. Hosted by KQED housing affordability reporters Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari, the second season will explore the system of evictions and why many tenants have been made more vulnerable to evictions.