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:
Ms. Samar Ali, Vanderbilt Law School
Dr. Andrew Aurand, National Low Income Housing Coalition
Ms. Emily A. Benfer, Wake Forest University School of Law
Dr. Raphael Bostic, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Ms. Allison Bovell-Ammon, Children’s HealthWatch
Mr. Daryl J. Carter, Avanath Capital Management LLC
Dr. Dennis P. Culhane, University of Pennsylvania
Ms. Mary Cunningham, Urban Institute
Dr. Susan L. Cutter, University of South Carolina
Dr. Matthew Desmond, Princeton University
Mr. Rudy Espinoza, Inclusive Action for the City
Ms. Robin Hacke, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Dr. Danya Keene, Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Sabriya Linton, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Giridhar G. Mallya, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Dr. Edgar O. Olsen, University of Virginia
Mr. Robert Pinnegar, National Apartment Association
Dr. Megan T. Sandel, Boston Medical Center
Ms. Sarah Stein, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
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 1C: Expand and Improve Social Safety Net Programs during the Pandemic and Beyond
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 4B: Expand Programs Supporting the Production of Affordable Housing
Strategy 4C: Reduce Exclusionary Zoning Practices
C List of Actions Per Timeframe (Near, Short, and Medium Terms)