A new University of Chicago study reveals a troubling connection between eviction rates and gun violence in Chicago neighborhoods, with profound implications for racial health disparities. The research found that each 1% increase in eviction rates within a census tract corresponded to 2.66 additional shootings.
Black women face disproportionate impacts from eviction filings, the study notes. Between 2007 and 2016, over 3.6 million Americans annually were forcibly removed from their housing, with evicted individuals experiencing higher rates of financial hardship, stress, and depression. These evictions don’t just affect displaced families—they destabilize entire communities.
The research identifies a critical mechanism: evictions destroy “collective efficacy,” the shared belief among neighbors in their ability to work together for common goals. Lead author Thomas Statchen explains that “evictions really break up communities, both for the people who are forced to move and for people who are losing their neighbors.”
Senior author Elizabeth Tung emphasizes that poverty remains the root cause, noting that some disadvantaged communities form resilient bonds to withstand economic challenges. However, evictions systematically undermine this protective factor in minority neighborhoods already struggling with concentrated poverty.
The health consequences extend beyond gun violence. Higher neighborhood eviction rates correlate with increased maternal mortality, particularly devastating for Black communities.
Tung advocates for policy interventions like rent caps and improved public housing, arguing that while poverty may persist, “we can change policies to increase the levers of opportunity and make poverty escapable rather than inescapable.”
See: “Study highlights link between eviction rates and gun violence” (January 7, 2026)
