California Evictions Much Faster and More Frequent Than Previously Thought

About 500,000 tenants face eviction every year—triple previous estimates. And over a million may be involuntary displaced despite never making it to court.

2 minute read

June 6, 2018, 9:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Eviction

Daniel Arauz / Flickr

Evictions in California are three times more common than previously thought, according to a new report by statewide renter organization Tenants Together. Using previously unpublished data from the state Judicial Council, the organization found that an average of 166,337 households, averaging 2.9 residents each, received unlawful detainers every year for the last three years.

The analysis also found that, contrary to common belief, "eviction court cases move through the system at breakneck speed." While other civil cases can take years to resolve, state records show that 75 percent of eviction cases are decided within 45 days, and nearly 60 percent within a month.

The data is broken down by county in Tenants Together's report, California Evictions are Fast and Frequent, and visualized in an interactive map by the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project. The report helps fill in the gaps from national data released by the Eviction Lab, led by sociologist Matthew Desmond—which identified only 43,000 evictions in the state last year.

Still, when it comes to displacement, a big piece of the picture is missing: Evictions that occur outside of court. And that may be the majority of cases, the report warns: "For every tenant facing a court filed eviction, there are others displaced from their homes who do not show up in court filing data." The organization estimates that, when all variables are accounted for, over a million tenants might be evicted each year.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018 in Tenants Together

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of white panel at top of school bus with "100% electric" black text.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation

California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

April 30 - California Air Resources Board

Aerial view of Freeway Park cap park over I-5 interstate freeway in Seattle, Washington at night.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

April 30 - Streetsblog USA

"No Thru Traffic - Open Streets Restaurants" sign in New York City during Covid-19 pandemic.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street

How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.

April 30 - Next City