Examining excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for renters threatened with eviction

Abstract

What were the patterns of excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among renters who received eviction filings? In this retrospective study of 282,000 renters who received an eviction filing between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2021, an excess mortality analysis found that observed mortality was 106% higher than expected. By comparison, observed mortality among similar renters was 25% higher than expected and among the general population was 9% higher than expected. Housing instability, as measured by eviction filings, was associated with significantly increased risk of death over the first 20 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eviction prevention efforts may have reduced excess mortality for renters during this period.

Nick Graetz

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Princeton University

My research interests include population health, structural racism, housing policy, small area estimation, and causal mediation analysis.