Pittsburgh Foundation confronts eviction woes and the 'demoralizing cascade' of causes

Apr. 14—Those who pay the least amount for rent are most likely to face eviction, a study led by The Pittsburgh Foundation found.

The study began in 2016 and was published Tuesday.

It found the something as simple as a minor car repair can cause a "demoralizing cascade" that can lead to the start of an eviction proceeding, Michael Yonas vice president of public health, research and learning for the foundation, said.

Yonas was among the people who spoke as the study was unveiled Tuesday during a virtual presentation.

Even if a person isn't evicted, the court record of the filing can have long-lasting effects on someone and whether they can find a landlord who will rent to them, Yonas said.

The study was inspired by a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City" by Matthew Desmond.

The foundation hosted Desmond, a nationally-know sociologist, in 2016. His visit prompted group meetings and interviews with experts in poverty issues, Lisa Schroeder, the foundation's president and CEO said.

Jane Downing, the foundation's senior program officer for economic and community development, led a group that included Yonas and Rachel Rue, who works as an analyst with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, and Kyle Webster, general counsel for ACTION Housing, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit real estate developer and housing provider.

Over the course of five years, they looked at eviction filings in the county court system, talked with landlords and tenants who have been through the eviction process and others about the issue.

"I have evicted people," Webster said. He is an attorney who represents a landlord, ACTION Housing.

"Without question it's the worst part of my job," Webster said. "Evictions are the epitome of lose-lose. We do not want to do it."

While eviction filings have remained constant — between 13,000 and 14,000 per year in Allegheny County — the amount that's owed jumped 35% between 2012 and 2019, from about $1,500 to more than $2,000, Rue said.

They also found that lose who paid the least amount for rent were the most likely to be evicted and that 30% of landlords who filed evictions receiving housing subsidies, she said.

It's the reason a $100 car repair can cause someone to fall behind on their rent and face an eviction that creates a lasting problem for someone, Yonas said.

The system for evictions needs to change, both tenants and landlords told the group, Yonas said.

The study and its 52-page report, available here, is a "call to action," Downing said.

The report includes several recommendations, including:

—Creating diversion and housing stabilization programs.

—Increasing the supply of affordable housing.

—Lobbying for reform of court policies surrounding eviction and allowing eviction records to be expunged from someone's permanent record.

A key is also to improve communication among landlords, tenants and service agencies that are there to help, everyone involved with the study said.

The study started before the coronavirus pandemic and doesn't address the potential increase in evictions once federal, state and local eviction moratoriums expire.

Those moratoriums have been effective as they've allowed rent relief programs, which are in place in both Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, to get up-and-running so people can get help now, Webster said.

Pittsburgh enacted an eviction moratorium in March, but it has been subject to revisions and legal challenges.

Tom Davidson is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@triblive.com or via Twitter .