Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs
Wei Kang
Social Sciences; Public Policy; Public Affairs
School of Public Policy
UC Riverside
The Geography of Eviction: Multi-Scale Evidence on the Diffusion and Persistence of Housing Instability
Housing insecurity and eviction remain among the most urgent social challenges in the United States. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, forced displacement has affected millions of renter households and disrupted community stability nationwide. This project seeks to deepen understanding of how eviction patterns have evolved between 2016 and 2024—before, during, and after the pandemic—and what they reveal about the broader geography of housing instability. Drawing on newly available confidential national data on court-filed evictions, the study will track eviction trends across multiple years and regions, linking them with information on housing costs, local economies, and state policy responses. By examining both regional and neighborhood dynamics, the research will identify where eviction risks are concentrated, how they spread, and which communities remain most vulnerable. Beyond documenting trends, the project introduces new ways of understanding how housing instability spreads and persists across communities. By combining large-scale data with spatial and temporal analysis, it will generate new insights into the forces that drive eviction and the ways local policies can strengthen housing stability. The findings will provide the first comprehensive picture of eviction dynamics across the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and recovery periods, offering actionable evidence to guide policymakers and housing advocates in promoting long-term housing security and equitable recovery across communities.
