Rental Eviction and the
COVID-19 Pandemic

AVERTING A LOOMING CRISIS

Response and Resilient Recovery Strategic Science Initiative

Strategy Group on COVID-19 and Rental Evictions

Division on Earth and Life Studies

Health and Medicine Division

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

Policy and Global Affairs

A Consensus Study Report of

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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www.nap.edu

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This study was supported by National Academy of Sciences internal funding. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academies.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-43743-1

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-43743-1

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/26106

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Rental Eviction and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Averting a Looming Crisis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26106.

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Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

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STRATEGY GROUP ON COVID-19 AND RENTAL EVICTIONS

Chair

KAREN DYNAN, Harvard University

Members

STEPHANIE AARONSON, Brookings Institution

LISA K. BATES, Portland State University

GLORIA BRUCE, East Bay Housing Organizations

ANITA CHANDRA, RAND Corporation

AMY CREWS CUTTS, AC Cutts and Associates, LLC

ANNIE DONOVAN, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

MICHAEL FRATANTONI, Mortgage Bankers Association

WAYNE GILES, University of Illinois at Chicago

WILLIAM GOEDEL, Brown University

RACHEL GARSHICK KLEIT, Ohio State University

LAUREN ANCEL MEYERS, University of Texas at Austin

MAHASIN MUJAHID, University of California, Berkeley

KELLY PATTERSON, State University of New York at Buffalo

VINCENT J. REINA, University of Pennsylvania

MARYBETH SHINN, Vanderbilt University

TIMOTHY A. THOMAS, University of California, Berkeley

RACHEL L. J. THORNTON, The Johns Hopkins University

TILL MARCO VON WACHTER, University of California, Los Angeles

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, Bozzuto Management Corporation

DOUGLAS E. WOOD, Aspen Institute

AHU YILDIRMAZ, ADP Research Institute

Report Editor

RONA BRIERE, Briere Associates, Inc.

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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE RESPONSE AND RESILIENT RECOVERY STRATEGIC SCIENCE INITIATIVE

Chair

MARTÍN-J. SEPÚLVEDA (NAM), International Business Machines Corporation, CLARALUZ, LLC

Members

DOLORES ACEVEDO-GARCIA, Brandeis University

THAD W. ALLEN, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

KAREN DYNAN, Harvard University

EDWARD H. FRANK (NAE), Brilliant Lime, Inc.

JOHN R. LUMPKIN (NAM), Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation

GARY MACHLIS, Clemson University

JANET NAPOLITANO, University of California, Berkeley

Staff

AUDREY THÉVENON, Study Director

MICAH LOWENTHAL, Senior Director

JULIE PAVLIN, Senior Board Director

TERESA STOEPLER, Senior Program Officer

JENNA BRISCOE, Research Associate

CHARLES MINICUCCI, Research Assistant

MEGHAN ANGE-STARK, Associate Program Officer

Consultants

HEATHER KREIDLER, Fact or Fiction, LLC

SUSAN STICKLEY, Stratus, Inc.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REVIEWERS

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Dr. Robert A. Moffitt (NAS), Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. David E. Jacobs, National Center for Healthy Housing. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

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CONTENTS

SUMMARY: THE RENTAL EVICTION CRISIS

Goal 1:
Mitigate: Bridge Financial, Social, and Legal Assistance

Strategy 1A: Harness Existing Social Programs for Broad, Proactive, and Targeted Outreach to Connect Renters with Financial and Legal Assistance

Strategy 1B: Provide Assistance to Renters in Traditionally Marginalized Communities by Scaling Activities in Community-Based Organizations

Strategy 1C: Expand and Improve Social Safety Net Programs during the Pandemic and Beyond

Goal 2:
Inform: Improve the Collection of Data and the Use of Information to Support Affected Communities and Inform Policy Makers

Strategy 2A: Improve Data Collection, Reporting, and Access to Build Actionable Understanding of Eviction

Strategy 2B: Develop a Compendium of Promising Strategies for Housing and Public Health Authorities to Mitigate Evictions, Housing Instability, and Their Downstream Health Effects

Strategy 2C: Commission Research to Understand Continuing Housing Instability Problems and Deploy Efforts to Address Them

Goal 3:
Assist: Make Affordable Housing Fair and Accessible

Strategy 3A: Increase the Number of Housing Choice Vouchers

Strategy 3B: Provide Housing Search Support for Households Eligible for Housing Vouchers

Strategy 3C: Reduce Discrimination to Protect Tenants

Strategy 3D: Establish a Program to Provide Credit Counseling for Tenants

Goal 4:
Secure: Preserve, Provide, and Expand Safe Affordable Housing

Strategy 4A: Preserve the Existing Stock of Affordable Housing for Renters, Including Both Subsidized and Unsubsidized Units

Strategy 4B: Expand Programs Supporting the Production of Affordable Housing

Strategy 4C: Reduce Exclusionary Zoning Practices

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

A Statement of Task

B Scenario Planning Approach

C List of Actions Per Timeframe (Near, Short, and Medium Terms)

D Proposed List of Actions by Categories of Priority

E Biographical Sketches of Strategy Group Members