PUBLIC HOUSING

Evictions for unpaid rent tear
holes in the safety net

FEATURED

Public housing, the last refuge for the poor, threatens to kick out tenants for small debts

Public housing is supposed to be a solution to homelessness, not a cause of it. The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism analyzed four years of eviction data to find out why five public-housing authorities are taking so many of their clients to court.

ABOUT THIS SERIES

Millions of Americans are homeless or just a crisis away from losing their homes. The University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and Capital News Service led a national reporting project to shine light on how and why that is happening in the wealthiest country on the planet. Learn more about the reporting behind the stories here.

This story was reported by students in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Their work was supported by grants from the Park Foundation and the Scripps Howard Foundation. The Howard Center was created with support from the Scripps Howard Foundation to honor the legacy of journalism pioneer Roy W. Howard. 

Top photo: Nick McMillan/Howard Center

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