The Deeply Flawed Studies Behind the Eviction Moratoriums

The government and media relied on studies plagued by shoddy statistics to make the case for blocking evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) halted residential evictions in the United States for nonpayment of rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many states and municipalities got there first, imposing at least partial eviction moratoriums starting in March and April of 2020. The theory behind these emergency orders was that if Americans were forced to leave their homes and move into more crowded settings, it...