EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF THE NYS EVICTION MORATORIUM ON COVID-19 INFECTIONS

On March 20, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a statewide moratorium on both residential and commercial evictions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring people could remain in their homes and not face displacement. The Capstone team examined the effectiveness of the eviction moratorium in mitigating the spread of the virus in NYC by using publicly available data on the city’s evictions and COVID-19 cases. The team conducted difference-in-difference analyses to estimate the impact of the eviction moratorium on COVID-19 cases and the role of New York State’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program and other social safety net initiatives. The initial results showed that the moratorium, post ERAP start date, had significant effects in slowing the rate of new COVID-19 cases, overall hospitalizations, and deaths. The team’s final report details its findings and conclusions, as well as possible policy implications for how local, state, and federal governments can prepare and address future public health crises.