No matter what you care about, if you care about high health costs, racial inequality, children’s fitness, fiscal responsibility, whatever your issue is, the lack of affordable housing sits at the root of that issue, without stable housing everything else falls apart.

Mathew Desmond - Eviction Lab

The consequences of eviction and housing instability go beyond just the renter.

Housing

The implications that eviction has on housing seem obvious, but even after an eviction occurs, there is evidence of long-term housing problems befalling tenants. Often, tenants relocate to housing with sub-standard living conditions in less convenient, less desirable neighborhoods. In addition, finding housing after an eviction can be difficult as having an eviction on one’s record can deter future landlords from accepting the tenant. 

Health

Health is often overlooked when thinking of the consequences of eviction. Renters, especially single mothers, often face hunger, sickness, and mental illnesses due to a pending eviction. Overall stress, depression, and anxiety can befall those facing an eviction, especially when the tenant is confused about the eviction process. Because working parents often focus the majority of their funds on housing expenses rather than necessities like food, lack of affordable housing has been linked to inadequate nutrition in children. Asthma, injuries, and infections, are just some of the medical examples caused by housing instability. Suicides as a result of evictions are not new in America’s history.

Employment & Finances

Evictions have been found to increase chances of job loss. Forced moves can result in relocating to less convenient locations which can lead to absenteeism or tardiness at one’s work. Going to court for an eviction is, for many tenants, time that is taken off work, which can then put their employment at risk. In some cases where the evicted tenant had a government housing voucher, an eviction can have a direct impact on that tenant’s financial situation in which the voucher is forfeited. Tenants are often on their own when faced with eviction court as they often don’t have the funds to obtain legal help and there has been a decrease in households receiving federal assistance. 

Community and Family

For families, forced moves can lead to homelessness, separation of families, loss of possessions and changing schools for children. They may also be involved with the child welfare system and face the removal of their children because they cannot adequately care for them or find sources to help them achieve stability. In addition, communities with a high prevalence of evictions experience constant turnover and instability, which thwarts local collective success and empowerment. Likewise, the lack of these important community values can also have a negative impact on the development of young and adolescent children. Evictions also contribute to a higher risk of adolescent violence in children, poor school performance, and loss of neighborhood ties. 

Eviction needs also to be discussed within the greater contexts of segregation, gentrification, and displacement. Following are a few short videos that provide brief explanations of these issues, along with source links for more information.

 

Segregated by Design

www.segregatedbydesign.com

 

Gentrification Explained

www.urbandisplacement.org

 

Pushed Out: Displacement Today and Lasting Impacts

www.urbandisplacement.org