Jana Plotkin, “Eviction Defense Project; Are Families Safer From Eviction?”
Mentor: Rebecca Konkel, Criminal Justice
This research was based off of the Milwaukee’s Eviction Defense Project (EDP). The Milwaukee Defense Project provides men, women, and family units with legal aid and information regarding their eviction cases. The three perimeters that EDP focuses on are case evicted, case stipulated, and case dismissed. This research project aims to test whether individuals with children were less likely to be evicted compared to those without children. Data on eviction outcomes and family make-up were collected through surveys of individuals who had cases that went through Milwaukee’s Eviction Defense Project (EDP) from May 2017 through September 2020 (N=1,091). Based on survey data, it was found that approximately 64% of respondents reported having children. Finding from independent sample T-tests indicated that that individuals who had children were less likely to be evicted from their residence, and instead were more likely to have their case dismissed or receive a stipulation (i.e., payment plan). The literature has revealed that children who frequently move are more likely to have academic and behavioral issues (Cutili et al., 2013; Scanlon & Devine, 2001), and this effect is greatest among those who experience the highest levels of economic disadvantage (Gasper, DeLuca, & Estacion, 2010). Because judge may consider such auxiliary effect, children may play a role in judges’ verdicts. These findings are promising, in that they indicate that children may be a mitigating factor in these cases and may not be subjected to forced moves that are the result of evictions.
Very encouraging findings. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for taking the time to review my project!
Thank you, Jana! Well done! I appreciated knowing more about the EDP as a resource I was previously unfamiliar with. The findings are interesting. This may not have been part of the scope of the study, but what kind of protective interventions could build on this research to help protect children whose families are evicted? I certainly see the importance of mitigating disruption to the lives of children impacted by eviction, and wonder if there are some future policy implications here?
Thank you Kyla for reviewing my project! I really appreciate your insight into what could be done for children being affected by eviction. It would be nice to see resources in the school systems that could provide support, education, training, even therapy for these children. Children are the byproduct of their environmental situation, and its terribly sad to see the impact this is having on innocent children. I hope that with further research and statistics available, that funding can be resourced to providing these interventions to protect to nurture these children.
Well done, Jana! It is such an important topic. Ever since I read Desmond’s _Evicted_ I’ve wondered where the story is now. Your study shows both some improvements and some still discouraging facts. Thank you for your work and interest in this issue!
Thank you Nigel!!! I appreciate the opportunity to be BACK with the SURF program as a Post Bacc student. I agree that with more research done, I discovered that there are many disparities within groups of those being evicted. Thank you for taking the time to review my project!