Many people predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic would bring an avalanche of evictions. So far, that has not happened. In an interesting and thoughtful opinion piece by Jay Parsons, the deputy chief economist and vice president of asset optimization for RealPage, that has not turned out to be the case. Parsons’ op-ed appears in Globe Street, Where Did All of the Evictions Go? Evictions plummeted even in cities without eviction bans. Parsons wrote:
What happened? Not much—and that’s wonderful news. Americans will likely experience a record low number of evictions in 2020. Eviction filings since COVID-19 hit in mid-March have plunged 67% from normal levels in the 17 markets tracked by Princeton’s Eviction Lab. Evictions plummeted even in cities without eviction bans. And all reliable indicators continue to show renters are (so far) paying their monthly rent at near-normal levels. This is good news not only because millions of renters haven’t been displaced as feared, but also because accurate numbers lead to more targeted, more affordable policy solutions that, in turn, increase the odds of lawmakers finally approving much-needed direct aid for renters truly in need.
Eric J. Ellman is Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs at the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) in Washington, DC. He also served for eight months as Interim President and CEO of the Association. More