Black women face eviction at disproportionately high rates—and the consequences go far beyond housing. A new study reveals that eviction, whether legal or illegal, is a major driver of poor health outcomes among Black women of reproductive age.
In a survey of over 1,400 Black women across three Michigan counties, half reported experiencing eviction at some point in their lives. What’s more alarming is that nearly half of those evictions were illegal. These weren’t just cases of nonpayment. Many were tied to unlawful reasons like sexual harassment, retaliation, and illegal lockouts—actions that violate the Fair Housing Act.
Dr. Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, lead author of the study, emphasized that the women surveyed didn’t fit the typical profile often associated with eviction. “The participants were not overwhelmingly single mothers or low income,” she noted. “It surprised me that 50% of respondents experienced an eviction in their lifetimes.”
The health toll is significant. Using a self-rated health measure, researchers found that women who had experienced multiple evictions were more likely to report worse physical health. These evictions, Sealy-Jefferson said, are “a source of violence” and “traumatic experiences that families sometimes never recover from.”
The study underscores how structural racism in housing policy contributes to health disparities. Despite protections under the Fair Housing Act, Black women remain vulnerable to eviction even when they’ve paid rent.
To address this crisis, Sealy-Jefferson calls for structural solutions: federal reparations, stronger tenant protections, rent control, and increased investment in housing assistance. “We need structural solutions because those are the only REAL sustainable solutions to the dual crises of eviction and health inequities,” she said.
See: “Why Evictions Make Black Women’s Health Worse” (May 16, 2025)
