Millions fear eviction as housing crisis worsens

Two studies released Wednesday found that the nation’s housing availability and affordability crisis is expected to worsen significantly following the pandemic

NEW YORK -- More than 4 million people say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the coming months just as two studies released Wednesday found that the nation's housing availability and affordability crisis is expected to worsen significantly following the pandemic. The housing crisis, the studies found, risk widening the housing gap between Black, Latino and white households, as well as putting homeownership out of the reach of lower class Americans. “The unprecedented events of 2020 both exposed and amplified the impacts of unequal access to decent, affordable housing,” wrote researchers at Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. “These disparities are likely to persist even as the economy recovers, with many lower-income households slow to regain their financial footing and facing possible eviction or foreclosure.” The reports were released on the same day as Census Bureau’s biweekly Household Pulse Survey came out. It showed that nearly 4.2 million people nationwide report that it was likely or somewhat likely that they will be evicted or foreclosed upon in the next two months.