October 01, 2020

Data from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that neighborhoods with high rates of chronic health conditions that increase COVID-19 risk, such as heart disease, have disproportionately high eviction rates compared with neighborhoods that don’t have the same prevalence of medical conditions. The data reflect   trends that low-income neighborhoods and communities of color have long faced significant health disparities, which increases their risk of contracting COVID-19, and are also bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s economic devastation.

Philadelphia city officials and the community organization OccupyPHA reached a tentative deal this week to place 50 vacant houses in a community land trust to house people experiencing homelessness. “This will be a landmark agreement. Not only has a group of poor and homeless organizers managed through direct action to win an agreement that will set a precedent for the entire country, but we have also forced the city to exercise its power of the Philadelphia Housing Authority and finally get them to give up these vacant homes that have been blighting our communities for decades,” said OccupyPHA organizer Jennifer Bennetch. 

So far, fires in southern Oregon have destroyed nearly 2,000 residences, including mobile home parks and apartment buildings, which are key sites of affordable housing for a large portion of the region’s immigrant community. Many of these residents were already struggling financially because of the pandemic, especially households with family members who are undocumented, many of whom were ineligible to receive any federal relief funds. As recovery efforts begin, residents worry the region may neglect affordable housing in rebuilding efforts and replace those units with high-end subdivisions.

Despite the increased demand for housing, homebuilders across the nation are facing supply shortages, increased lumber prices, and competition for labor and land, which drives up production costs. Higher construction costs also create incentives for homebuilders to forgo building affordable housing and instead produce more expensive homes. “Every time prices go up, it’s great for homeowners and bad for the renter who aspires to be a homeowner,” stated real estate consultant John Burns.