The headlines are filled with stories of subprime mortgages and foreclosed homes during this economic crisis, but often overlooked are the impacts on the 35 million households—almost 33% of all households—who rent.   Some renters will be evicted as the homes they rented are foreclosed on; this may become worse if commercial loans to apartment buildings begin to fail.  In any case, the population of renters will probably increase as many households who used to own their home and are foreclosed on enter the rental market—a market that has become increasingly unaffordable in recent years.  Minorities have been and will continue to be greatly impacted by this, as a population more likely to rent, more likely to pay higher percentages of their income for housing and more likely to have a subprime loan (and therefore a higher risk of foreclosure).  The effects of this crisis may change the rental market for years to come as mortgage lending criteria tighten.  The attached paper will focus on those 35 million households that rent, how they have been impacted by the current crisis, examining trends in affordability as well as describing some of the federal programs that are available to help low-income renters.