Hi Reader,

Injustice, in one form or another, is the subject of nearly every ProPublica investigation.

Here’s why: We’re steadfast in our mission to use the power of journalism to expose corruption and abuses of power. And our reporting can make a real difference: policies get reversed or new ones are enacted; people at the top resign; debts are erased; innocent people are freed; and so much more.

One recent example is our investigation into YieldStar, a rent-setting software sold by Texas-based company, RealPage. YieldStar’s proprietary algorithm is used by landlords all over the country to set prices for apartments and help them “beat the market.” One of the algorithm’s developers even told ProPublica that, compared to a computer, leasing agents have “too much empathy.” As rents continue to soar, critics are concerned that the software’s design and growing reach is allowing landlords to indirectly coordinate pricing and undermine market competition. Our investigation found that in one neighborhood in Seattle, 70% of apartments were overseen by just 10 property managers, every single one of whom used pricing software sold by RealPage.

Just days after our story was published, renters filed the first of what would be at least 18 lawsuits against RealPage. They allege that the software company, and nine of the nation’s biggest property managers, formed a cartel to artificially inflate rents in violation of federal law. Weeks later, members of the the Senate and the House of Representatives sent letters to the Department of Justice and FTC asking the agencies to investigate, and, in late November, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division launched an inquiry into whether the rent-setting software is facilitating collusion among landlords (the company denies all allegations).

ProPublica readers like you donate the money that powers reporting like this.

Our fiscal year ends on Dec. 31, and the money we raise today will help us begin 2023 on strong financial ground. Our mission grows more important by the day, and with your help, we can dig deeper and, together, spur even more impact. Donate today and support journalism that keeps the powerful accountable.

Thanks,
Jill Shepherd
Proud ProPublican