Study: 'Sudden shocks' are driving up homelessness rates

A new study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of California, Los Angeles highlights the impact of 'sudden shocks' like climate disasters and evictions on the rate of homelessness. 

According to an article by Sanjana Gajbhiye on Earth.com, the researchers looked at how homelessness numbers changed year to year to understand what caused sudden increases. Because acute events like eviction and climate-related housing loss played the biggest roles, the loss of eviction protections put in place during the pandemic could lead to a wave of displacement. The researchers estimate that without eviction moratoriums, the eviction rate — which was around 11% in 2022 — would have reached up to 20%. 

Gajbhiye concludes that the study changes how we view the short- and long-term causes of homelessness. "Long-term problems like rent and jobs still matter, but sudden events often cause quick increases."