Millions of Americans were struggling to find affordable housing. Then the pandemic hit.

According to advocates, an eviction moratorium provides short-term relief but does not address the root cause of the eviction crisis -- a shortage of affordable housing.

When the pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020, Schantayln Sherman, a single mother of a daughter with special needs, faced a series of medical and financial setbacks that left her unable to pay her rent. As she received rental assistance, Sherman said she tried to look for more affordable housing but that it was the "hardest thing" because stock is low, demand is high, waitlists are long and restrictions in terms of credit scores and income levels are limiting. "I have been looking to find more affordable housing, and, unfortunately, here in Atlanta, or if I even moved to another city in Georgia, it's just not there right now. The rent is expensive everywhere," she told ABC News. According to affordable housing advocates and experts, Sherman's experience is part of a national crisis that predates the pandemic: a shortage of affordable housing for low-income communities.