Yes, many of the unemployed received higher unemployment benefits than their former wages, but that was almost exclusively due to the additional federal money. Plus, they had other expenses to cover if they couldn't/didn't pay rent.
They lost health insurance and had to pay for that out of pocket.
If they had kids, many missed out on free lunch, and oftentimes breakfast, for the children. Even if free lunch was offered during the lockdowns, they had to go pick it up. And that's assuming they had a car. So you need add the cost of two meals a day, five days a week, for each child.
Electricity, water, sewer, and natural gas bills went up since everyone was at home, increasing another expense.
I'm sure that you or people you know have had some experience with unemployed tenants seemingly "wasting" their rent money on frivolities, but do you really think they are the rule instead of the exception? Do you really think that most renters don't want to at least attempt to pay their rent now instead of waiting for the gigantic bill that is due for back rent once the moratorium expires?
Yes, small landlords got screwed...a little bit. But they still own an asset (the house) that is now worth significantly more than what is was 18 months ago.
Finally, most of the employees who lost their job during COVID were paid low wages. The National Low Income Housing Coalition just released an update on housing affordability, and its main finding is that rent is completely unaffordable everywhere.
"In no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. can a worker earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage afford a modest two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent by working a standard 40-hour work week."
