PAGE 14 October 2020
COVID-19's effect on the economy and the housing
market, both of which were already on the verge of crisis,
is projected to cause harrowing long-term struggles for
Americans. The pandemic has created the perfect
opportunity for an "avalanche" of future homelessness and
financial insecurity. Researchers observing the effect of
COVID-19 on American evictions warn, "The United States
may be facing the most severe housing crisis in its history."
Earlier this year, businesses across the country shut their
doors to meet limited capacity requirements and promote
social distancing efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
Amid controversy on how the pandemic response should be
handled, some states have lifted or eased restrictions,
allowing businesses to reopen under some or no safety
precautions as some case counts continue to rise. Despite
these re-openings, some temporary layoffs or decreases in
hours from early in the pandemic have led to permanent
job loss.
Unemployment currently affects people of color at a much
higher rate than their white counterparts, specifically Black
and Latinx Americans, according to a recent report. Black
and Latinx unemployment reached 16.7% and 18.9%
respectively and initial findings in April show 44% of Black
Americans and 61% of Hispanic Americans reporting job or
wage loss in their household due to the Coronavirus
outbreak, compared to 38% of white Americans. These
disparities further break down among people with
disabilities, who experience higher rates of unemployment;
LGBTQ people, who experience higher rates of
homelessness; and undocumented immigrants, who do
not qualify for unemployment or the stimulus relief
checks.
The U.S. Government offered temporary relief in the form
of a $1,200 stimulus check (although not everybody
qualified for one) and increased unemployment benefits
including an additional $600 per week to help the
overwhelming wave of those filing claims. However, more
than 44 million Americans filed for unemployment by mid-
June and claim rates continue to rise weekly even through
September, according to a recent report by the
Department of Labor. For scale, unemployment rates
fluctuated between 11.1% and 14.4% between March and
July, compared to a peak of 10.7% during the Great
Recession.
While the economic and unemployment crises may be
relatively new due to COVID-19, they clash with a housing
crisis more than a decade in the making which also
disproportionately affects marginalized groups. Many
renters entered the pandemic "already facing housing
instability and vulnerable to eviction," considering the U.S.
has lost more than four million affordable housing units
over the last decade and is experiencing a shortage of
seven million affordable apartments available to lowest-
income renters. A Pulse survey in May found that about
one quarter of Black and Latinx respondents did not pay or
deferred rent in May, compared to 14% of white
respondents. June's results showed about a quarter of
white respondents showing "slight or no confidence" in
their ability to pay June rent, while nearly half of Black and
Latinx renters responded similarly.
(© zimmytws - stock.adobe.com)
By Elena Cleaves, Staff Writer
Americans Face
Eviction Crisis
as Moratoriums
Expire and
COVID-19
Unemployment
Rates Climb
Americans Face
Eviction Crisis
as Moratoriums
Expire and
COVID-19
Unemployment
Rates Climb
