Addressing Differential Impacts of Covid-19 in NYS: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Housing Insecurity and Eviction Likelihood among Renters during the Pandemic in New York State and Beyond

Abstract

Since the coronavirus pandemic, little research has examined racial and ethnic differences in housing insecurity or eviction among renters. This study seeks to build upon and expand the existing literature on these topics using data from the Household Pulse Survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau since 2020 for the U.S. (overall), New York State, California, Texas, and Florida. These four states have the largest state populations, and they received nearly 30% of the $25 billion in aid from the Emergency COVID-19 Relief Bill. New York and California had state-based eviction moratoriums in place much longer than in Texas and Florida. Our results reveal that race and ethnicity are significantly associated with housing insecurity in the U.S. and all four states. Blacks and Hispanics are significantly more likely than Whites to report not being caught up on their rent. With respect to the analyses of eviction likelihood, Hispanic renters in the U.S. and Florida are significantly less likely than Whites to report being very likely to be evicted, relative to reporting that they would not be at all likely to be evicted. There is no difference between Blacks and Whites in their likelihood of being evicted. In spite of the availability of federal aid to renters, racial and ethnic disparities in housing insecurity among renters have persisted during the pandemic. Future research should study racial and ethnic differences in actual evictions rather than just perceptions of eviction, particularly since most eviction moratoriums have been lifted.