The Social Science Data Lab at Creighton University and local nonprofit Together released a report in March summarizing eviction trends in Nebraska in 2020. The authors — Creighton professor Pierce Greenberg, Together employees Erin Feichtinger and Danni Smith, and Creighton undergraduate Emily Burke — found a nearly 45 percent drop in eviction filings last year compared to the previous four years.
But those numbers don’t tell the full story, say Greenberg and Feichtinger. Though the decrease can almost certainly be attributed to the various eviction moratoria, they say local and federal governments could have done more when the pandemic was at its worst to keep people in their homes.
Courtney Bierman spoke to Greenberg and Feichtinger about some of the key findings detailed in the report, including at least 60 potentially unlawful evictions identified in Nebraska in 2020 — 36 of which happened in Douglas County.
Since this interview occurred, a federal judge vacated the national eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been in place since last year and extended several times. It was most recently extended through June 30. The Justice Department has indicated that it will appeal the ruling.
The full report is available online and can be viewed here.
