Likelihood of eviction or foreclosure by state

43% of Southerners (and 31% of non-Southerners) who were late on rent/mortgage payments as of June said they were at risk of losing their home. Arkansans were most at-risk at 72%.

Likelihood of eviction or foreclosure, June 1-13, 2022

Percent 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”

Source: Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

Over the last 12 months, the price of a single-family home has risen 20% and rising interest rates are making home buying even more expensive.^1,2 These dynamics are increasing demand for rentals, which is pushing rents higher — now up 15% compared to one year earlier.³ Fears of foreclosure or eviction are rising, particularly across the South. Among adults not up to date on rent or mortgage, 72% of Arkansans, 62% of South Carolinians, 59% of Mississippians, 53% of North Carolinians, 50% of Louisianans, 46% of Tennesseans, and 45% of Georgians fear they will be evicted or foreclosed upon.

In May, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it was doubling the size of its Eviction Protection Program from $20 million provided in November 2021, to $40 million. This program provides legal assistance for tenants who are at risk of eviction (it does not provide direct rental assistance).⁴ State and local officials that speed up the distribution of Emergency Rental Assistance funds can stabilize renters as inflation continues to threaten Americans’ financial stability (Emergency Rental Assistance).

1. “S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index”. FRED. June, 2022. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPISA

2. “MBA: Mortgage Application Rates Plummet Nearly 7% From Last Week”. Wolak. National Mortgage Professional. June, 2022. https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/mba-mortgage-application-rates-plummet-nearly-7-last-week 

3. “Housing Data”. Zillow Research. https://www.zillow.com/research/data/ 

4. “HUD Expands Eviction Protection and Diversion Program With Additional $20 Million”. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. May, 2022. https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_22_091