Fewer evictions, more owed: New rental debt problems during the pandemic

Peter Hepburn; Jacob Haas; Emily Lemmerman; Matthew Desmond

doi:10.4324/9781003481461-7

Fewer evictions, more owed: New rental debt problems during the pandemic

Peter Hepburn
, Jacob Haas
, Emily Lemmerman
, Matthew Desmond

Sociology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Some policymakers saw the rapid rise of debts coming and tried to stop it. One critical space for intervention was in housing, where missed rent or mortgage payments could quickly spiral into unsustainable debts, evictions, and foreclosures. The remedies that policymakers used to stabilize renter households dramatically lowered eviction filing rates, but left significant debts unresolved.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Viral Debt
Subtitle of host publication	The Production and Reproduction of Economic Vulnerability
Publisher	Taylor and Francis
Pages	95-110
Number of pages	16
ISBN (Electronic)	9781040511596
ISBN (Print)	9781032771410
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003481461-7
State	Published - Jan 1 2026

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Social Sciences

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10.4324/9781003481461-7

Cite this

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Fewer evictions, more owed: New rental debt problems during the pandemic

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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