BACKGROUND

Kansas City Eviction Project, started in 2013, is a collaborative effort involving researchers, community organizers, neighborhood leaders, lawyers, and policymakers. Eviction is a critical entry point to understanding housing, racial injustice, and poverty in Kansas City.

DATA AND METHODS

We are working with one of the richest datasets on eviction in the country. We compiled 182,992 eviction filings, spanning 18 years, drawn from the Jackson County Landlord-Tenant court records. The data are at the address-level and have been geocoded and mapped.

KEY FINDINGS

EVICTIONS FILED (1999-2017)

Over the study period, an average of 42 formal evictions were filed per business day. Over almost two decades, around 9,000 evictions were filed each year. The consistency in eviction filings year over year suggests that there may be a core of landl… — Over the study period, an average of 42 formal evictions were filed per business day. Over almost two decades, around 9,000 evictions were filed each year. The consistency in eviction filings year over year suggests that there may be a core of landlords in the city for whom eviction is part of their business model.

EVICTIONS FILED PER SQUARE MILE (1999-2016)

Evictions have been spatially concentrated in the city’s poorest neighborhoods—but their impact is spreading to other parts of town, consistent with development trends.

EVICTIONS FILED vs. Black Population (1999-2016)

Black people living in poverty were disproportionately impacted by eviction during the study period. We performed a multivariate analysis that showed that race is the most important factor that predicts whether or not someone will be evicted in Kans… — Black people living in poverty were disproportionately impacted by eviction during the study period. We performed a multivariate analysis that showed that race is the most important factor that predicts whether or not someone will be evicted in Kansas City, even when we hold income constant.