New Miller School Study Looks at Impact of COVID-19 Eviction Moratoriums on Diverse Communities

A new collaborative study co-led by a University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researcher will focus on the impact of COVID-19 eviction moratoriums on diverse communities across Florida.

“Whenever there is disaster or crisis in Florida, Black and Brown communities are disproportionally affected,” said Zinzi Bailey, Sc.D., M.S.P.H., research assistant professor. “In this case, we are looking at the impact of COVID-19 on housing stability, which is one of the most important social determinants of health. If you are struggling to stay in your home, your stress levels will likely be elevated, exacerbating any chronic medical problems. It will also be harder for you to keep up with a preventive health regimen, putting you at an increased risk for negative health outcomes.”

Results of Two-year Project

Dr. Bailey, is co-leading the collaborative study, “Tracking the Fallout: The Impact of Eviction Moratoriums on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Evictions and Displacement Post-COVID-19” with Alana Greer, JD, of the Community Justice Project.

The two-year project, conducting in partnership with Community Justice Project, is funded by a grant from Policies for Action (P4A). This is the signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and supports its vision of building a “Culture of Health in America” by generating actionable evidence to guide policymakers.

“The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the systemic and structural inequities facing the most vulnerable Floridians,” said Dr. Bailey. “But it has also introduced progressive ideas into the mainstream and created policy windows to advance community-led justice. Our study will look at both aspects.”

While the federal government imposed a moratorium on COVID-related evictions after the pandemic hit last spring, the implementation of that policy in Florida has varied from county to county.  For instance, Miami-Dade County has put in place several requirements for landlords that are designed to protect tenants who have been unable to pay their rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Through much of this crisis, landlords in Miami-Dade seeking an eviction notice had to present a declaration that the tenants were not covered by the CARES Act,” Dr. Bailey said. “Potentially, the need for that attestation gave landlords pause initially. However, with time, we have observed a shift to no-cause evictions, which are not subject to the eviction moratoriums.”

In contrast, Orange County has fewer requirements than Miami-Dade, and Hillsborough County has almost no stipulations in regard to obtaining a court order for evicting tenants.

“Our study looks at how the local implementation of these moratoriums may impact racial and ethnic disparities in evictions,” said Dr. Bailey, who is working collaboratively with the Miami Workers Center, Florida Rising, Community Justice Project, as well as researchers at the University of South Florida in Tampa and the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Women of Color Lead team

The team, which is led by women of color – primarily Black – researchers, will analyze eviction data in conjunction with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, The Eviction Lab at Princeton University, and the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida.

Dr. Bailey and the research team will also interview community leaders and activists about how they have been interfacing with local housing officials.

“We want to know what has helped them in providing tenant protection and allowing people to stay in their homes,” she said.

The researchers are also looking at the longer term, to see if COVID-19 eviction moratoriums potentially contribute to neighborhood change, such as increasing gentrification over time. In the past, large-scale evictions have hastened new residential development does not serve Black and Brown residents, said Dr. Bailey.

“By studying the impact of eviction moratoriums and other policy interventions, we hope to learn more about how tenants’ rights policies contribute to housing stability and reduce problems for low-income communities of color,” Dr. Bailey said. “Now is the time to press forward as eviction moratoriums, emergency rental assistance and other tenant protections, have entered the mainstream of public health policies.”

Tags: COVID-19, Dr. Zinzi Bailey