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The Pending Eviction Crisis Is Going to Make Covid-19 Even Worse
Research shows eviction and homelessness lead to ‘deaths of despair’
Covid-19 has contributed to increased business closings, leaving high numbers of Americans unemployed. As a result, eviction is becoming more commonplace. That can mean a family, often with children, is physically removed from their home and left — suddenly — without shelter.
The CARES Act’s federal ban on eviction expired on July 24, 2020. It had protected tenants from eviction since March 27, 2020. Tenants are now reliant on state protections only, which leaves them increasingly vulnerable. The research on homelessness and health points to likely grave consequences here: The physical and mental health of many may be in jeopardy as 2020 marches on.
Brendan O’Flaherty, professor of economics at Columbia University, estimates homelessness in the U.S. could exceed 40% this year due to the anticipated increase in evictions from Covid-19 economic distress.
