The Best Friends Podcast Episode 136

Housing issues are the second most common reason people surrender pets to shelters. If not priced out by exorbitant pet deposits or monthly pet-ownership fees, arbitrary restrictions around species, breed, and size can often force a pet owner to make the worst choice imaginable.

While it may be easy to think, "I could never do that. I would just find another apartment," consider that there may not be another apartment. Experts say we are millions of housing units short of what we need to meet demand. The critically short supply creates greater demand, often making a landlord's policies more restrictive and monthly rents more expensive.

Federal, state, and local governments are considering solutions such as tax credits and rent control, but these measures often lack pet-inclusive language. Since two-thirds of Americans own pets, any reforms that don't consider equal access for pet owners will potentially put millions of people and pets in peril.

This week, we catch up with the national manager of housing initiatives for Best Friends, Elizabeth Oreck, as she shares good news out of California about a new bill aiming to keep low-income renters - and their pets - safe and housed.