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With millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents out of work thanks to physical distancing restrictions, advocates and landlords alike are worried about a large swath of renters being unable to pay their bills.

Many of those hit hardest by the pandemic’s economic effects are in the retail and restaurant sectors, typically among the lowest-paid in the country and peopled by many renters, adding to those fears.

Some trade associations at the state and national levels, as well as some housing advocates, say the solution is for the government to step in and guarantee all rent payments for the time being. Others, including many Republicans in Congress, say the idea would add too much to the national debt. Others worry that the idea would be too cumbersome to work in practice.

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