Evictions
A number of factors and market forces must converge to displace a community and transform a neighborhood, and eviction is the legal tool that facilitates this transition. Research on evictions can be haphazard, as many landlords elect to remove tenants through intimidation, coercion, or illegal “self-help” evictions conducted outside of the court system. Still, analysis of available data can reveal patterns of displacement. The Evictions chapter of this report focuses on the 02906 zipcode between 2016 and 2018, leveraging datasets gathered from tax assessment data, the Rhode Island Judiciary, and the Census Bureau. Confirmed evictions appeared in clusters in census block groups with high rates of non-white rentership. As the Housing Court re-opens and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to play out across the city, Providence is facing a potential eviction crisis in the fall and winter of 2020. Anticipating and understanding this process is of critical importance.