The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgency to understand and address residential evictions. In Ontario, eviction hearings have resumed digitally and at a fast pace. Many renters have been unable to pay their rent in full, which has increased the possibility of mass arrears (accumulation of rent owed), and related evictions.
Evictions have the potential to disrupt the public health responses to COVID-19, magnify the associated recession, and disrupt tenants’ lives. All of these outcomes would have negative impacts on population health and well-being.
To adequately address evictions, it’s important to first understand where eviction applications are taking place. This brief examines where eviction applications were filed prior to the pandemic. This information could be helpful for targeting eviction prevention services and building political support for expanding them.