What This Howard Research Means in the Real World | Do Eviction Moratoria Decrease Intimate Partner Violence?

Howard faculty, Linchi Hsu, Alexander Henke, and Jeffrey Galloway, recently published a paper entitled 'Do Eviction Moratoria Decrease Intimate Partner Violence?' in the Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics.

This paper examines how emergency housing policies enacted during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic impacted rates of domestic violence in the United States. The authors analyzed state-level eviction moratoria that were implemented prior to the broader federal mandate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Key Findings

• Overall Reduction in Violence: Eviction moratoria led to a 12% decrease in reported Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) compared to pre-treatment averages.
• Disproportionate Benefits: This decline was heavily driven by a 28% reduction in reported violence against Black women. Black and female-led households entered the pandemic at a heightened risk for eviction.
• The Mechanism of Stress: Financial and housing instability cause immense household stress, which can increase violence. The findings are most consistent with the theory that securing housing reduces family stress, thereby lowering the incidence of IPV.
• Shift in Violence Types: While simple physical assaults decreased significantly, reports of intimidation slightly increased. This suggests the policy may have reduced the physical intensity of some violent episodes, substituting assault with intimidation.

Real-World Applications

This study highlights that economic and housing policies are directly linked to public safety and physical well-being.

• Understanding Vulnerability: The research shows that an eviction is a traumatic event that leads to severe consequences, including homelessness, worse health outcomes, and lower earnings. Everyday citizens can better understand that housing loss is not just a financial issue, but a crisis that can trigger or result from domestic violence.
• Community Support Systems: Recognizing that evictions can both cause and result from IPV can help community members, landlords, and social workers identify and support at-risk households earlier.
• Evaluating Societal Costs: The lifetime economic burden of IPV in the United States is massive, costing $2.1 trillion in medical services and $1.3 trillion in lost productivity. Supporting housing stability programs during emergencies is a practical way for communities to reduce these devastating societal costs.