Posted on January 15, 2021
BOSTON --- In its latest article for the COVID Community Data Lab, MHP’s Center for Housing Data takes a look at the effectiveness of policy measures put in place to prevent evictions during COVID-19 and what could be done to make them more effective as the pandemic continues.
Written by MHP’s Callie Clark and Clark Ziegler, the article first details the patchwork of federal, state and local solutions that have been used to keep Massachusetts residents safely sheltered since March. It then shifts to highlighting policy considerations that must remain front and center during 2021. These include:
- Streamlining the delivery of emergency rental assistance resources
- Improving transparency and alignment in housing courts
- Calling for better data to track impacts of policy interventions
- Ensuring equitable access to rental assistance
The article emphasizes that any disruption to the housing system is felt disproportionately by households of color and that the only way to come out of this housing crisis stronger and more resilient is through a combination of ongoing income supports, emergency rental assistance funding, and new long-term strategy around affordable housing production and preservation.
The COVID Community Data Lab was created by MHP and Boston Indicators, the research initiative of the Boston Foundation. The site features research on employment, housing, transportation, and more, along with data and graphs on a wide array of COVID crisis indicators. For more on the efforts of the COVID Community Data Lab, go to the CCDL site.
For additional information about the CCDL housing research, contact Lucas Munson at lmunson@mhp.net.
Also from MHP's Center for Housing Data:
DataTown - Demographic and housing data visuals for all 351 Massachusetts communities. This user-friendly site allows you to compare communities, print out the graphics for presentations and download the supporting information in excel.
TODEX - Transit-Oriented Development Explorer maps housing densities around all 261 Greater Boston transit stops. Like DataTown, TODEX is easy to use. You can print the graphics, explore the methodology and access the GIS files to explore or use the data for your own work.