Improving Eviction Data
We lack quality data on the most common form of displacement in the United States—eviction. How can we address these data gaps, locally and nationally?
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April 28, 2023
Eviction has become one of the most visible manifestations of America’s housing crisis, with millions of families facing eviction each year. An abundance of evidence has detailed how the eviction process is destructive and traumatic with lasting and negative consequences for adults and children alike.
And yet, we lack quality, accessible data on evictions in the U.S. The little data we do rely on is commonly incomplete, inaccurate, and inconsistent. Without accessible and reliable data on evictions, it’s nearly impossible for state and local leaders to pass effective, data-driven, and targeted policies and programs that keep people stably housed.
Over the last few years, New America’s Future of Land and Housing Program (FLH) has partnered with state and local policymakers, housing and eviction experts, and data technologists to develop a host of resources to better understand and address the critical eviction data gap in the U.S., and ways to improve it.