Post COVID case study: Evaluating Programs designed to prevent eviction and support for low income families in 2024.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for low-income families facing housing instability. In response, various government and nonprofit initiatives were launched to prevent evictions and provide support for struggling tenants. Several key programs emerged post-COVID:
Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA): A federal program that allocated over $50 billion to help renters cover missed payments. Implemented across several states, including New Jersey, the ERA program aimed to prevent evictions by providing funds directly to landlords to cover tenants' arrears. In some cases, it also supported families in paying their rent going forward.
The Eviction Protection Grant Program: This initiative by HUD provides funds to local organizations to offer legal assistance, eviction mediation, and financial literacy services to tenants at risk of eviction.
New Jersey’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CVERAP): Designed to assist tenants by paying back rent and preventing evictions, it helped many low-income households stabilize their housing situations.
Impact: A study conducted across four urban areas in the U.S. found that rental assistance programs increased the likelihood of rent payment and modestly improved tenants' mental health. However, the long-term effects on housing stability were mixed. In the short term, these programs reduced the risk of immediate eviction but did not entirely solve underlying financial insecurities. Other factors, such as increased government support and favorable rental market conditions, may have also influenced the outcomes.
Key Lessons: While emergency rental assistance programs were successful in preventing mass evictions, the study suggests that for long-term housing stability, ongoing financial support, affordable housing policies, and legal protections will be necessary to ensure lasting change for low-income families.
By looking at these programs' effectiveness, we see the importance of combining direct financial support with broader policy interventions to secure housing stability in a post-pandemic world.
Recommendations for law makers
