Eviction Moratoria and Fatal Drug Overdoses: Unexplored Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights -

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 43 states and Washington, D.C. implemented eviction moratoria to mitigate the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic. However, little is known about the impact of these policies on fatal drug overdoses. Research conducted by New York University (NYU) sheds light on this unexplored area, revealing that lifting eviction moratoria may not be sufficient to prevent overdose mortality during crises.

Key Takeaways:

  • Between May 2020 and December 2021, there were 159,872 drug overdose deaths in the United States, with higher eviction rates associated with higher overdose mortality.
  • Researchers evaluated the effect of eviction moratoria policies on county-level overdose death rates, focusing on the dates the state moratoria were lifted.
  • Lifting state eviction moratoria was associated with a 0.14 per 100,000 higher rate of monthly overdose mortality, although confidence intervals were wide and included zero.
  • The study found that eviction moratoria may not be sufficient to prevent overdose mortality during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Researchers obtained mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and eviction moratoria dates from the COVID-19 US State Policy Database.
  • The study employed a longitudinal targeted minimum-loss-based estimation with Super Learner to flexibly estimate the average treatment effect of never lifting the moratoria.

Statistics:

  • 159,872: Number of drug overdose deaths in the United States between May 2020 and December 2021.
  • 43: Number of states and Washington, D.C. that implemented eviction moratoria.
  • 0.14: Per 100,000 higher rate of monthly overdose mortality associated with lifting state eviction moratoria.
  • 95% CI (-0.03 to 0.32): Confidence intervals for the estimated average treatment effect.

Sources:

  • The effect of lifting eviction moratoria on fatal drug overdoses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2025;194(10):2896-2904.
  • NewsRx. New Findings from New York University (NYU) Yields New Data on Drug Abuse (The effect of lifting eviction moratoria on fatal drug overdoses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. November 2, 2025; p 125.