Rent debt and tenant vulnerability as Los Angeles COVID-19 eviction protections expire
Katharine Nelson, Chi-Hyun Kim, Anna Duan, Shihang Yan, and Rebecca Yae
On February 1, the last of the City of Los Angeles' COVID-19 renter protections will expire and up to 93,000 renters that may owe debt between October 2021 to January 2023 may be newly vulnerable to eviction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Los Angeles enacted several renter protections to keep people housed through temporary moratoriums on eviction for nonpayment of rent. The last of these protections will expire on February 1, 2024. Public data on rental debt is limited, creating great uncertainty about how many renters may be at risk of losing their homes as these renter protections expire. The Housing Initiative at Penn (HIP) worked with the Los Angeles Housing Department to understand the scope of rental debt in the City by modeling census data and conducting large surveys of tenants and landlords.
Between 97,000 and 155,000 Los Angeles households were behind on rent, based on our August 2023 survey. Renters with arrears were more likely to have children, to have a disability, to identify as Black or Latinx, and to live in larger households compared to other renters.
Roughly 60% of households in arrears reported owing rent between October 2021 and January 2023. Households that still owe rent from this period will be vulnerable to eviction when the final protections expire. We estimate that 60,000 to 93,000 households may be at risk of eviction for nonpayment of rent on February 1, 2024.
Large landlords with fifty or more units were much more likely to report they planned to file an eviction for nonpayment of rent once eviction protections expire. This is especially concerning since most of the tenants who reported outstanding rents between October 2021 and January 2023 reported they live in large apartment buildings.
Between 97,000 and 155,000 Los Angeles households were behind on rent, based on our August 2023 survey. Renters with arrears were more likely to have children, to have a disability, to identify as Black or Latinx, and to live in larger households compared to other renters.
Roughly 60% of households in arrears reported owing rent between October 2021 and January 2023. Households that still owe rent from this period will be vulnerable to eviction when the final protections expire. We estimate that 60,000 to 93,000 households may be at risk of eviction for nonpayment of rent on February 1, 2024.
Large landlords with fifty or more units were much more likely to report they planned to file an eviction for nonpayment of rent once eviction protections expire. This is especially concerning since most of the tenants who reported outstanding rents between October 2021 and January 2023 reported they live in large apartment buildings.
Our surveys suggest that the upcoming February 1, 2024 deadline may be more destabilizing than the earlier lapse in eviction protections that took place in August 2023. We estimate that 36% of renters with arrears became vulnerable to eviction with the earlier lapse in protections, while on February 1, a majority of renters with arrears (60%) may become at risk of eviction.
Roughly half of all renters in arrears reported owing three or fewer months in back rent. Because they owed less rent, there is a better chance these tenants may have been able to catch up in the months since the survey was completed, compared to tenants who owed more. However, as many as 17,000 households still owed a year or more in back rent as of August 2023.
Roughly half of all renters in arrears reported owing three or fewer months in back rent. Because they owed less rent, there is a better chance these tenants may have been able to catch up in the months since the survey was completed, compared to tenants who owed more. However, as many as 17,000 households still owed a year or more in back rent as of August 2023.
The City operated a final round of emergency assistance this fall, which no doubt assisted some of these households. However, the need dramatically exceeds the available public resources, suggesting tens of thousands of households will likely be at risk on February 1.
Read the whole report here.
Read the whole report here.
