New Orleans Evictions During COVID-19 (2020)

Abstract

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, rental housing problems quickly impacted about one-third of low-income households in the United States. This paper examines the impacts of various housing policies on tenants’ housing rights and security of tenure during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Orleans, Louisiana, between March and December 2020.

Drawing upon eviction filings and data produced by the Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative (JPNSI) court watch program, the authors use both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the effect of various COVID-19 eviction moratoria on the number of eviction filings, the outcomes of eviction cases and any changes in the demographic, geographic, and overall rates of eviction during the pandemic. The authors approach these questions focusing on the disparate impact of housing insecurity and evictions across race, gender, class, and neighborhood, focusing on the experience of Black renters.

Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, fair housing, evictions