By NCHV Staff Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the labor market and American economy, leaving millions of Americans behind on rent and mortgage payments, placing them at risk of eviction and foreclosure. As the CDC eviction and foreclosure moratorium sunsets on July 31, 2021, it is important to connect veterans, and anyone who may be facing housing instability to resources that can help them address these issues.
The Federal minimum wage remains unadjusted since 2009, yet the average rental price increased by 66% between 2010 and 2020. Only one in four families eligible for subsidized housing is able to access housing assistance. Many American families have been struggling financially, and making hard choices between paying for housing, utilities, food, health care, and other essentials like transportation and child care. Essential COVID-related lockdowns impacted job security and worsened the situation for many.
Evictions can be detrimental to people who are already suffering. Losing your housing is stressful and can impact adults in the way of job performance and children who may have to change schools, stalling or interrupting academic progress. Already impoverished families lose their things, requiring additional spending to replace essentials. Evictions on their record can show up in background checks, making it challenging to identify new housing or get certain jobs requiring a security clearance. Most importantly, VA researchers have found the risk of suicide increases dramatically in the weeks leading up to, and immediately following the onset of homelessness.
There are inequities in the population of renters who is evicted. Researchers from the Eviction Lab found that Black individuals made up 19.9% of all adult renters in counties they studied, but 32.7% of all eviction filing defendants. They also found that Black and latino/a/x tenants and women in particular, are disproportionately threatened with eviction and disproportionately evicted from their homes.
We need to do everything possible to help veterans, and all Americans, remain in their homes. First, it is the right and just thing to do. Second, and most timely, it decreases the risks of unmitigated COVID-19 spread. Data shows that neighborhoods with higher eviction filing rates also have lower vaccination rates, meaning that there is additional COVID-related risk for those who are evicted from home. With the Delta variant spreading at a quicker pace, we have a moral imperative to act in preventing another wave of COVID-19 predominantly affecting those who are unstably housed or in poverty.
If you or someone you know is in need of financial assistance to catch up on rent or mortgage payments, help is available for all, and additional dedicated help is available to those who served in the military. Please visit https://nchv.org/shared-resources/ to learn more about financial assistance available to veterans facing housing instability.
Veterans at-risk of homelessness need access to resources that will help them stay housed in the short term, and access to longer-term assistance. We must support access to more subsidies to permanently allow people to remain housed.
Visit www.nchv.org to learn about the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
