Likelihood of eviction or foreclosure by state

Of the adults in North Carolina who are late on rent/mortgage, 2 out of 3 expect to be evicted or foreclosed upon in the next two months. Southerners are more at risk of losing their home than residents outside the South. 

Likelihood of eviction or foreclosure

Percentage of adults living in households not current on rent or mortgage where eviction or foreclosure in the next two months is “very likely” or “somewhat likely,”
Sep 15 - 27, 2021

Source: Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey

In North Carolina, 64% of adults who are late on their rent or mortgage fear they are likely to be evicted or foreclosed upon in the next two months. Some localities in North Carolina have proceeded with evictions, despite eviction moratoria, and some North Carolina landlords have forced tenants out without filing for an eviction.¹ As of the end of August, when the Supreme Court struck down the CDC’s most recent eviction moratorium, North Carolina had distributed only 40% of the federal Emergency Rental Assistance funds — even after making efforts to streamline the application burden in recent months.²

39% of Southern adults who are late on housing payments are afraid they will be evicted or foreclosed upon in the next 2 months compared to 32% of non-Southerners. More rapid dissemination of federal Emergency Rental Assistance funds might be executed if states provide aid directly to tenants or require landlords to apply for aid before filing for eviction.^3,4 At the end of the day, landlords’ interests would more likely be served by aid rather than eviction — the latter of which is less likely to result in payment of back rent. With 1.2 million fewer jobs across the South, new renters may be as unable to pay as previous renters.

Cities and counties can mitigate a wave of homelessness and instability by enacting one or more ordinances that hold landlords accountable for unjust evictions, and stop eviction processes when past due rent is paid with reasonable late fees.⁵

1. “The Federal Eviction Moratorium Was Extended Through September But Experts Say a Crisis is Looming”. Gallup. Indy Week. August, 2021. https://indyweek.com/news/northcarolina/the-federal-eviction-moratorium-was-extended-through-september-but-crisis-is-looming/

2. “More than 420,000 Households Received Emergency Rental Assistance in August, Totaling Over $2.3 Billion in Payments”. U.S. Department of the Treasury. September, 2021. https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/more-than-420000-households-received-emergency-rental-assistance-in-august-totaling-over-2.3-billion-in-payments

3. “Virginia leads nation in distribution of federal rent relief”. Oliver. Virginia Mercury. September, 2021. https://www.virginiamercury.com/2021/09/07/virginia-leads-nation-in-distribution-of-federal-rent-relief/

4. “Direct-To-Tenant Payment Implementation: Increasing Flexibility and Equity in Emergency Rental Assistance Programs”. Foley. National Low Income Housing Coalition. July, 2021. https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Direct-To-Tenant.pdf 

5. “RENTAL & EVICTION POLICIES”. SouthStrong. https://theseap.org/wp-content/uploads/ARP-Toolkit_Rental-Eviction-Policies.pdf