‘These Are Deaths That Could Have Been Prevented,’ Says Researcher Studying Evictions

Protesters call for support for tenants and homeowners at risk of eviction during a demonstration on Oct. 11 in Boston. A federal moratorium on evictions is set to expire at the end of December.

Steven Senne / AP

Like much of the response to the coronavirus across the U.S., the approach to housing during the pandemic has been an uneven patchwork.

Forty-three states and Washington, D.C., put in eviction moratoriums starting in March and April, but 27 of them ended in the spring and summer. Then in September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a national stop to evictions.

The CDC eviction ban isn’t automatic and doesn’t cover everyone. Thousands of people are still being kicked out of their homes.