Ehrenreich discovered that affordable rental housing was shrinking because
A.most renters fail to pay rent on a regular basis, forcing renters to increase prices
B.in a strong economy, rental prices increase
C.construction companies could not keep up with the demand for new apartment complexes
D. the economy was weak, which prompts people to buy homes instead of rent
E. local laws dramatically increased the tax on rental income, which caused rental rates to increase
It's B, "in a strong economy..."
To determine why affordable rental housing was shrinking, we need to examine the given options and see which one aligns with the discovery made by Ehrenreich.
Option A states that most renters fail to pay rent on a regular basis, forcing renters to increase prices. However, there is no mention of rent payment issues leading to a decrease in affordable rental housing.
Option B suggests that rental prices increase in a strong economy. While this may be true, it doesn't address the issue of shrinking affordable rental housing.
Option C mentions that construction companies could not keep up with the demand for new apartment complexes. This aligns with the issue of shrinking affordable rental housing. If the demand for apartments exceeds the construction industry's capacity to supply them, it can lead to a decrease in affordable rental housing options.
Option D suggests that a weak economy prompts people to buy homes instead of renting. While this may have an indirect impact on rental housing, it doesn't directly explain why affordable rental housing is shrinking.
Option E states that local laws dramatically increased the tax on rental income, causing rental rates to increase. While this can certainly lead to an increase in rental rates, it doesn't directly explain the shrinking of affordable rental housing.
Based on the options provided, option C is the most plausible explanation for Ehrenreich's discovery. The inability of construction companies to keep up with the demand for new apartment complexes would lead to a decrease in affordable rental housing options.