Evictions are headed back to pre-pandemic levels just as rents are spiking

Evictions are headed back to pre-pandemic levels just as rents are spiking³

Transcript⁴

Rents are skyrocketing and eviction² moratoriums⁵ are ending. The story of one evicted⁶ family in Connecticut could foreshadow what's ahead for vulnerable communities.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Much of the U.S. is emerging from the pandemic, but the crisis for many renters is not over. Government assistance and eviction moratoriums are running out, and rents are soaring. From Connecticut Public Radio, Camila Vallejo brings us a story of one family's eviction.

CAMILA VALLEJO, BYLINE⁷: In a dimly lit hotel room in Norwalk, Conn., 7-year-old Victoria sits at a desk. She's been staying at this hotel with her family for a few weeks, but she says she doesn't understand why.

VICTORIA: I miss my new bedroom. I had a closet with toys. And I also miss my new Barbies.

VALLEJO: Victoria and her family were recently evicted from the home where they lived for three years. Victor is Victoria's dad. He's asked us to use his first name only because Victor and his wife are undocumented. But they have five children - all U.S. citizens.

VICTOR: (Speaking Spanish).

VALLEJO: Victor says eviction is an experience he doesn't wish on anybody.

VICTOR: (Speaking Spanish).

VALLEJO: He says he would close his eyes and imagine someone taking his kids away because he couldn't provide a roof over their head, and that worry is still very much alive today. As he holds his 3-month-old baby, Victor says they fell behind on rent last spring. Both he and his wife were facing health issues. They were able to access temporary rental⁸ assistance in the fall, but that didn't dig them out of the hole they were in, and a state marshal showed up in February to evict¹ them. Victor connected with a local shelter here in Norwalk, which was able to book the family temporary stay at this hotel. Yolanda Mateo is director of client services at Open Doors shelter in the city. She says prior to the pandemic, the shelter helped about 30 households a year. But now...

YOLANDA MATEO: I would say in the ballpark between 40 and 50 households.

VALLEJO: And she says she wouldn't be surprised if the demand keeps rising. Rents are skyrocketing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition⁹ says affordable¹⁰ rents for a median income household in Norwalk would be about 1,100 a month. But Mateo says rent for a one-bedroom apartment in South Norwalk is nearly $2,000 a month right now.

MATEO: And that's, like, standard - you know, no luxury. Utilities are not included. This is just a very basic one-bedroom.

VALLEJO: Tenants¹¹ in Norwalk are not alone. Rents are increasing nationwide. In big metros¹² like Austin and New York City, rents have spiked¹³ more than 30%, and vulnerable communities could be impacted the most. A Harvard University report finds during the pandemic, Latino renters nationwide have been twice as likely to fall behind on rent than white renters and subsequently more at risk of eviction. But there's little to no research on how evictions impact undocumented people. Juan Pablo Garnham of the Eviction Lab at Princeton University is looking into this very topic.

JUAN PABLO GARNHAM: When you're undocumented, you struggle in many, many different ways, from some that are very obvious and simple - like language barriers in terms of understanding a contract, if you have one - all the way to having a more unbalanced relationship of power with your landlord.

VALLEJO: Garnham says these barriers often lead undocumented people to live in substandard housing for higher rates. And it's common because many in the undocumented community fear speaking up. One reason data on eviction is hard to come by is because cases involving undocumented people don't often make it to court.

GARNHAM: Many people believe that if you ask for help, that could be used against you.

VALLEJO: Victor says he's not afraid to ask for help, although he worries it could be months before his family has some stability again. But he's hopeful. Daughter Victoria is, too. She starts listing things she wants in her next home.

VICTORIA: I want it to have a pool. I want it to have, like, bunk¹⁴ beds.

VALLEJO: And Victor says he wants to overcome this housing situation and work as hard as possible to give his kids what they deserve.

For NPR News, I'm Camila Vallejo in Norwalk.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 evict   

vt.驱逐，赶出，撵走

参考例句：

• The lessor can evict the lessee for failure to pay rent.出租人可驱逐不付租金的承租人。
• The government always says it's for the greater good when they evict farmers from their land.当政府把农民从他们的土地赶出去的时候，总是号称是为了更大众的利益。

2 eviction   

n.租地等的收回

参考例句：

• The family have won a temporary reprieve from eviction.这个家庭暂时免于被逐出。
• He claimed damages for unlawful eviction.他要求对非法驱逐作出赔偿。

3 spiking   

n.尖峰形成v.加烈酒于( spike的现在分词 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。 来自辞典例句
• We could be spiking our own guns. 我们可能要遭到失败。 来自辞典例句

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 moratoriums   

正式的延缓，暂停( moratorium的名词复数 )

参考例句：

6 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

11 tenants   

n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

12 metros   

n.地下铁路( metro的名词复数 )；（尤指）巴黎地铁

参考例句：

• The map says the highest peak in this vicinity is 1500 metros. 地图显示附近最高点是1500米。 来自互联网
• Cuando estaba en el equipo de atletismo, siempre corría 400 metros. 我在田径队时，总是跑400米。 来自互联网

13 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

14 bunk   

n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话

参考例句：

• He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
• Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。