As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, another crisis is about to hit the country—evictions.
The number of evictions is expected to balloon as expanded unemployment benefits end this month, moratoriums expire, and families run out of their savings.
Researchers estimate that 19 to 23 million, or one in five of the 110 million Americans in renter households, are at risk of eviction by the end of September.
The crisis could be staggering. In Colorado alone, nearly 500,000 people could face eviction risk in the coming months, according to an initial analysis by the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, an initiative formed in the state in March.
Other states face similar troubles as the health emergency has put millions of people out of work and impacted the economy across the country.
Although the full impact of the pandemic remains unknown, especially as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in many areas, an increase in evictions is being seen across the country, according to Sarah Saadian, vice president of public policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).
“There are a lot of indicators that this is a nationwide problem that’s just going to get worse unless Congress provides direct rental assistance and other protections,” she says.
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