The Eviction Crisis Is Already Here

Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, took to Twitter this week to share news on the growing number of evictions around the country—an outcome feared since the outset of the pandemic. A clear narrative that emerges from the examples Yentel gathers from around the country: the eviction crisis we've been warned about since March is actually already here.

• 9,000 eviction hearings stalled by coronavirus resume Monday. Advocates say it's the beginning of a crisis (June 14, 2020)
• Predicted surge comes true: Eviction filings jump over 40% in Milwaukee County and state (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 15, 2020)
• Despite available COVID-19 reprieve, Pima County evictions uneven, frequent (Tuscon.com, June 16, 2020)
• The Columbus Convention Center Is Now a Pandemic Housing Court (Bloomberg CityLab, June 18, 2020)
• Coronavirus: Why US is expecting an 'avalanche' of evictions (BBC News, June 19, 2020)
• Landlords suing for $4M in unpaid rent as Harris County evictions move forward (Houston Business Journal, June 22, 2020)

Yentel's response to this wave of bad news for U.S. renters is clear, calling on Congress to approve the housing relief actions included in the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) approved by the House in May and waiting for Senate action, which includes a broad eviction moratorium, $100 billion in rent relief, and $11.5 billion for homeless programs.