A new study highlights the important role of emergency relief funding and eviction bans in stemming the rise of homelessness even as more families became housing-insecure.
Writing in Bloomberg CityLab, Kriston Capps outlines the concerns raised by a new analysis from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that shows how eviction moratoriums and other emergency assistance programs launched during the pandemic helped prevent many Americans from falling into homelessness.
Officials describe this as an under-heralded success story of the pandemic emergency response. It’s also a warning about a still-urgent threat: In the wake of emergency relief efforts, homelessness is rising once again.
The study reveals that the number of households spending over 50 percent of their income on housing—the “worst-case housing needs”—hit a record 8.5 million household in 2021, yet sheltered homelessness decreased by 17 percent between 2019 and 2021. This is due to the “massive intervention” consisting of $47 billion in federal rental assistance and eviction moratoriums that kept many families with precarious housing situations in their homes.
Some key takeaways: “Pandemic interventions demonstrated that it’s possible to combat the routine use of evictions as a rent collection tool by combining legal aid with financial support.” Additionally, “Rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing and other tools associated with the “housing first” model are the best options for dialing back homelessness, according to the analysis. And above all, homelessness is a housing problem, so building more rental housing at all levels of affordability is key to reducing the problems that lead to displacement.”
The study highlights an urgent warning: As pandemic relief programs end and housing instability remains a growing problem, “worst-case housing needs still represent an emergency.”
FULL STORY: Housing Instability Spiked During the Pandemic. Homelessness Didn’t.
Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.