Conclusion

Eviction data can be complicated. Transforming a spreadsheet or .csv file into accurate, actionable insights on a locality’s state of evictions requires methodical and time-consuming work. Generating high-quality analysis also requires a critical understanding of court data’s limitations. This guide is intended to help users balance the urgent need for this data with the inherent challenges of working with and drawing conclusions from it. As discussed earlier in the “Good Stewardship of Eviction Data” section, communicating any necessary context or caveats to the audience of data analysis is essential for navigating this tension.

Understanding where, how, and why evictions happen is one of many early steps in successfully addressing the ongoing affordable housing crisis and its impacts. The analyses informed by this guidance will hopefully go on to influence policymaking in a variety of jurisdictions and aid in keeping more residents stably housed.