T UNHOUSED AND UNEQU AL HOW HOMELESSNESS UNDERMINES AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
Courtney Cooperman
10
wo weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an eviction moratorium that extends through the end of 2020. The moratorium, which protects renters who can prove that they are facing economic hardship due to the pandemic, provides much-needed security for an estimated 30 to 40 million Americans at risk of eviction this autumn. According to some projections, without government intervention, homelessness could have risen by 45% this year alone, an alarming escalation of an already unconscionable crisis. As the CDC order acknowledges, housing security is critical to public health. Without a stable place to stay, people are more likely to end up in congregate living arrangements, such as homeless shelters, where they face a greater risk of contracting COVID-19. When people are forcibly removed from their homes, they cannot comply with stayat-home orders. The eviction moratorium is a common-sense step to control the spread of the coronavirus and provide relief, albeit temporary, to those suffering its devastating economic impact. Perhaps less obviously, but no less critically, it is also a significant safeguard of political rights. One of the strongest predictors of voter turnout is how long a person has lived in a particular place. In the 2018 midterm elections, just under twothirds of Americans who lived in their current residence for less than one year were registered to vote, and only 44% reported voting. In contrast, 84% of Americans who lived in their current residence for at least five years were registered to vote, and nearly 70% voted. This pattern makes intuitive sense: when a person changes their address, they need to update their voter registration, which is probably not topof-mind when getting settled into a new residence. Add in the trauma of an eviction and heightened anxieties about the pandemic, and it’s unlikely that this year’s election will take priority for someone who is forced out of their home. Evictions also impede access to mail-in ballots, as voters may have their ballots delivered to addresses where they are no longer living. A wave of evictions would certainly suppress participation in the 2020 election, driving down turnout among renters and low-income citizens, who are already less likely to vote. The CDC’s order, if enacted effectively, will protect tens of millions of people from eviction and its disenfranchising consequences. However, an eviction moratorium provides little comfort to the half-million Americans who are already experiencing homelessness on any given night. More than
