Is there an Eviction Crisis in Chicago Subsidized Housing?

Awarded Scholars:
Rahim Kurwa, University of Illinois, Chicago
Project Date:
Mar 2022
Award Amount:
$30,000

Social science research has identified eviction from private rental properties as a critical factor in the maintenance and reproduction of hardship and inequality in American society. However, little is known about how the nation’s subsidized housing programs compare to the private rental market when it comes to evictions. Do these safety net programs shield tenants from eviction, or do public housing tenants remain exposed to eviction’s life-disrupting harm? In order to answer this question, sociologist Rahim Kurwa will investigate evictions from the Chicago Housing Authority’s Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. Kurwa will build a dataset of terminations from these programs and will interview both administrators about their roles in the eviction process as well as legal services organizations about their strategies to assist tenants. He will also interview current and former tenants about the eviction process and its consequences.

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