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Why Landlords Target Mothers for Eviction
https://newrepublic.com/article/161578/landlords-target-mothers-eviction-crisis-covidHaving children is the single greatest predictor of whether someone will face eviction. It can be difficult to make rent and support a family, especially for women of color, who on average are paid less than white women, and single mothers living on one paycheck. Landlords—eager for an excuse to rid themselves of tenants whose children might cause noise complaints or property damage, or for whom lead hazards have to be abated or child services called—are often all too happy to begin eviction proceedings.
Even before the pandemic upended millions of lives, housing in the United States was in crisis, with four evictions filed every minute. Now, we are hurtling toward catastrophe. In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a moratorium on evictions for those who have suffered financial setbacks during the pandemic, but it has gaping loopholes and is slated to expire on March 31. Every day, all across the country, mothers are clinging to their homes, and their children, telling them everything will be OK, even when it is far from clear when they will be able to return to work, or when this will all be over.
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Educating mothers about their rights may help combat the coming wave of evictions. There are some federal protections against familial discrimination, which should make it illegal to target mothers. A few jurisdictions require evictions be for a just cause. But those laws are patchy at best. And even the most robust education efforts wouldn’t be enough to solve the deeper problem. What’s needed are new laws to allow people to expunge evictions from their records, giving them a better chance at finding housing, and to guarantee legal counsel in civil cases, like evictions. Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest, argues that eviction courts should be significantly reined in, so they can no longer act “as a debt collection device.” She thinks property owners should only be able to use them to regain access in emergency situations.
Even before the pandemic upended millions of lives, housing in the United States was in crisis, with four evictions filed every minute. Now, we are hurtling toward catastrophe. In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a moratorium on evictions for those who have suffered financial setbacks during the pandemic, but it has gaping loopholes and is slated to expire on March 31. Every day, all across the country, mothers are clinging to their homes, and their children, telling them everything will be OK, even when it is far from clear when they will be able to return to work, or when this will all be over.
(snip)
Educating mothers about their rights may help combat the coming wave of evictions. There are some federal protections against familial discrimination, which should make it illegal to target mothers. A few jurisdictions require evictions be for a just cause. But those laws are patchy at best. And even the most robust education efforts wouldn’t be enough to solve the deeper problem. What’s needed are new laws to allow people to expunge evictions from their records, giving them a better chance at finding housing, and to guarantee legal counsel in civil cases, like evictions. Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest, argues that eviction courts should be significantly reined in, so they can no longer act “as a debt collection device.” She thinks property owners should only be able to use them to regain access in emergency situations.
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