Millions of renters across the country say they are worried about being evicted from their homes just as the Supreme Court struck down a key pandemic protection.
According to data from a Census Bureau survey, 6 percent of renters nationwide— more than 3.5 million people — say they are “likely” or “very likely” to face eviction, being unable to pay their full rent because of the pandemic. But that number is much higher in several Southern and Midwestern states, including Missouri, North Carolina and Louisiana, where almost 1 in 5 renters say they are worried about getting evicted.
The map of the United States below shows the percentage of adult renters who say they are “likely” or “very likely” to be evicted from their homes in the next two months.
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from enforcing a federal moratorium on evicting renters amid the Covid pandemic, arguing that only Congress has the authority to impose such a policy. The move was hailed by the group of landlords who brought the case, claiming that the moratorium was costing the nation’s landlords $19 billion per month.
But the decision throws millions of renters around the country into limbo. Six states — California, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Washington — have temporary eviction protections, but most states do not. Several elected officials, including Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., have called on Congress to renew the eviction protections.
