On the prevalence and prevention of rental housing evictions
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Kelsi Gabrielle Hobbs (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Christopher Swann
Abstract: This dissertation explores the prevalence and prevention of rental housing evictions. I begin by providing a systematic review of the eviction literature. I find from my review of the literature over the past 20 years that attention to eviction has greatly increased. Next, I develop a theoretical model for the county-level eviction rate. By incorporating both landlord and tenant situations into the model, I find that the eviction rate can increase or decrease depending on eviction costs paid by landlords, hardship experienced by renters, or support provided to renters. Finally, I use data from the Eviction Lab, the first national database on eviction, to study three unanswered questions: (1) what is the extent of the US eviction crisis? (2) what is associated with the variation in eviction rates across US counties? And (3) can unemployment insurance (UI) benefits serve as an eviction prevention program? First, I find that the US eviction crisis is characterized primarily by consistently high rates of eviction at the national, state, and local levels. Second, I find that both demographic and economic factors are strongly related to the variation in eviction rates across US counties. Third, I find that UI benefits can serve as an eviction prevention program, but in doing so they induce landlords to file on their tenants more often, which results in worse outcomes for some tenants. Overall, this dissertation expands the literature on the prevalence and prevention of rental housing evictions, which ultimately aids policymakers and private organizations trying to reduce or prevent evictions.
On the prevalence and prevention of rental housing evictions
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Created on 5/1/2021
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2021
- Keywords
- Eviction, Eviction prevention
- Subjects
- Eviction $x Economic aspects
- Rental housing $x Economic aspects
- Low-income housing $x Economic aspects
- Unemployment insurance $x Economic aspects