Research & evidence on evictions

Evidence-based policies that measurably reduce evictions — for legislators, staff, and advocates — plus a searchable library of 160+ publications from ERN, affiliated scholars, and peer institutions.

Policies That Work Research Library

Evidence Brief for Policymakers

Seven policies that measurably reduce evictions

Every intervention below has been evaluated in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and shown to reduce eviction filings, default judgments, or displacement. Summaries cite peer-reviewed studies and independent program evaluations. This brief is designed for legislative staff — jurisdictions, effect sizes, and sources are condensed for quick reference.

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Right to Counsel in Eviction Cases

Publicly funded legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction. Typically phased in by income threshold and case type.

Evidence: In New York City's pilot ZIP codes (2017–2019), 84% of represented tenants remained housed vs. ~30% of unrepresented tenants; citywide evictions fell by 41% after universal implementation. San Francisco reported a 67% reduction in defaults. Similar gains documented in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Enacted in: New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington State (2021, statewide), Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington D.C., Boulder, Kansas City, Louisville, Toledo, Detroit.

Key sources: NYC Office of Civil Justice Annual Reports; Stout Risius Ross (2020) — Cost-Benefit Analysis of Right to Counsel; Seron et al. (2001) Housing Policy Debate; National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel.

Pre-Filing Eviction Diversion & Mediation

Programs that require (or strongly incentivize) landlord-tenant mediation before a case can be filed in court — often paired with rental assistance.

Evidence: Philadelphia's Eviction Diversion Program cut filings by ~36% relative to counterfactual and resolved ~50% of mediated cases without judgment. Michigan's statewide Eviction Diversion Program (2020–2021) distributed $1.1B in rental assistance and kept ~87% of participants housed.

Enacted in: Philadelphia (mandatory), Michigan, Texas (Harris County), New Mexico, Hawaii (emergency rules), Northampton County PA.

Key sources: Reina, Aiken, et al. (2023) — Philadelphia Eviction Diversion Program evaluation; The Pew Charitable Trusts; National Center for State Courts.

Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA)

Direct payment of arrears and forward rent to prevent eviction. Most effective when delivered rapidly (<30 days), and when landlord participation is structurally encouraged.

Evidence: Federal ERA1/ERA2 ($46.5B, 2021–2023) disbursed aid to ~10 million households and is credited by Treasury and the Urban Institute with preventing a post-moratorium eviction wave. State-level follow-ons (e.g., WA, OR, CA) show a 15–30% reduction in filings in jurisdictions with funded ERA vs. matched controls.

Active permanent programs: Washington State Eviction Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), California Housing is Key (archived), New York ERAP, Minnesota RentHelpMN.

Key sources: U.S. Treasury ERA Dashboard; Urban Institute (2022) — ERA Implementation Study; NLIHC ERA Tracker; ERN's own HUD-ERA evaluation with Housing Initiative at Penn (2026).

Just Cause Eviction Protections

Require landlords to cite a specific, enumerated reason (nonpayment, lease violation, owner-move-in, etc.) before terminating a tenancy. Reduces no-fault displacement and retaliation.

Evidence: Oregon's SB 608 (2019, nation's first statewide just-cause) was associated with a decline in no-cause terminations; California's AB 1482 (2019) extended protections to ~9M tenants. Quasi-experimental evidence from Seattle shows lower displacement rates for protected units.

Enacted in: California, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Washington D.C., Seattle, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland (OR), and dozens of California municipalities. Currently moving: San Rafael, CA (Oct 2026).

Key sources: Pastor, Carter & Abood (2018) — USC Dornsife; Oregon Housing & Community Services SB 608 Report; UC Berkeley Urban Displacement Project.

Sealing & Expungement of Eviction Records

Automatically seal or expunge eviction filings — especially dismissed or settled cases — so tenants are not screened out of future housing by the mere existence of a filing.

Evidence: Research shows tenant-screening companies report even dismissed filings, generating a "Scarlet E" that persists for years. Minnesota's Statute 484.014 and Colorado's SB21-173 have reduced screening-based rejections; California SB 1100 (2023) sealed dismissed filings statewide.

Enacted in: Minnesota, Colorado, California (SB 1100), New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Illinois, Oregon, Washington. Considered: Arizona, Massachusetts.

Key sources: Eviction Lab — "The Scarlet E" Series; Sandefur (2014) Indiana Law Review; Kleysteuber (2007) Yale Law Journal; NLIHC Eviction Record Sealing Tracker.

Source-of-Income (SOI) Discrimination Protection

Prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders or other lawful-source recipients. Expands housing choice and reduces concentration of voucher use in high-eviction neighborhoods.

Evidence: Cunningham et al. (Urban Institute, 2018) paired-testing study: denial rates for voucher holders drop from 78% to 31% in SOI-protected jurisdictions. Voucher lease-up rates improve 10–20 percentage points.

Enacted in: 22 states + D.C. including California, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Connecticut; 100+ municipalities.

Key sources: Cunningham et al. (2018) — Urban Institute; NYU Furman Center; Poverty & Race Research Action Council SOI Tracker; HUD PD&R Report (2022).

Extended Cure & Notice Periods

Lengthen statutory notice-to-quit, pay-or-quit, and cure periods (e.g., from 3 days to 14 days). Gives tenants time to access assistance, rectify the default, or find counsel.

Evidence: Washington's 2019 extension of the pay-or-quit period from 3 to 14 days, combined with standardized notice forms, was associated with a measurable decline in default judgments and a higher rate of tenant appearance in court. Similar findings in Oregon and Connecticut.

Enacted in: Washington (14-day pay-or-quit, 2019), Oregon (10-day), Connecticut, Nevada, Arizona. Federal CARES Act 30-day notice remains in place for covered properties.

Key sources: Washington State Supreme Court Gender & Justice Commission; Seattle University Korematsu Center — Losing Home (2018); Oregon Law Center; ERN Washington state pipeline (evictionresearch.net/washington/).

Why these seven? These are policies with direct, quantified evidence of reducing eviction filings, default judgments, or post-filing displacement — not merely improving tenants' legal rights in the abstract. Complementary interventions (rent stabilization, housing-first programs, tenant opportunity-to-purchase acts) also appear in the peer-reviewed literature but have more mixed or indirect evidence on eviction specifically and are covered in the full library below. For a tailored briefing on any of the above, contact ERN.

Eviction Research Library

Peer-reviewed publications, reports, working papers, and datasets on eviction, displacement, and housing precarity — searchable by state, type, and keyword. Know of work that should be included? Email us.

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