Renters with longer commutes to eviction courts, often located downtown, face higher eviction rates.

New research reported on by Matt Levin for Marketplace highlights a major barrier for tenants fighting eviction: the commute to the courthouse. According to research from law professor Dave Hoffman, “For every extra hour it takes to get to court, the odds of a default eviction go up as much as 9%.”
Tenants who live far from downtown courthouses face the biggest hardship. “[Hoffman’s] research suggests that even controlling for factors like income and race, the farther you are from the courthouse, the less likely you are to make it there to fight your eviction.” Shanti Singh of Tenants Together calls this “almost a consequence of displacement,” noting that working class renters “have longer and longer commutes to work, but also possibly longer and longer commutes to their own eviction hearing.”
As federal housing assistance programs lapse and disruptions brought on by COVID-19 continue to leave many renter households vulnerable to eviction, some landlords are intensifying their efforts to file evictions against tenants who owe back rent. But the pandemic brought some innovations, too. “Many eviction courts used Zoom or other platforms during the pandemic, and some continue to do so. That may help with the transport issue. But tenant lawyers said many of their clients run into issues using the technology. ”
Click through to the source article to listen to the full radio segment.
FULL STORY: Tenants with long commutes to court more likely to be evicted, study finds

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie