Housing as a dimension of poverty

The American housing crisis is merely a direct result of poverty and unequal wealth distribution across the nation. Long before the coronavirus pandemic plunged the United States’ economy into a recession, millions of Americans, including thousands of Cleveland residents, struggled to pay rent monthly.

Both before and after the coronavirus pandemic, low income children and their families who experience homelessness could not access or sustain safe and affordable housing options. Housing instability affects children and families’ economic mobility and whether they can escape systemic poverty.

One example of housing instability is evictions, especially in cities like Cleveland. Each year nearly 9,000 evictions move through Cleveland Housing Court. Evictions are costly, traumatic and tied to poor health and education outcomes for children sending individuals and families into deeper cycles of poverty.

Eviction moratoriums, increase opportunity for livable wages and legislative policies for low income residents can help decrease cyclical homelessness in our country’s housing crisis.