Every year, about 2.7 million households across the U.S. face eviction through the courts. Michigan has one of the highest eviction filing rates in the country, tied with Mississippi. Between 2006 and 2016, 14% of Michigan renters were threatened with eviction.
Black renters, especially Black women and families, are affected the most due to systemic racism in housing policies. Data shows that 20% of Black adult renters have faced an eviction filing, compared to just 4% of white adult renters. This major housing issue has severe consequences, yet little is being done to address it.
A research study called the SECURE Study is investigating the extent and impact of legal and illegal evictions in Metro Detroit. The study, led by a Black woman social epidemiologist, aims to expose the hidden realities of the housing crisis that Black families face. The research team includes a community advisory board made up of Black women with direct experience dealing with eviction.
The focus of the study is on reproductive justice, which means ensuring that families have the right to raise their children in safe, stable housing. Evictions disrupt this right and make life even harder for struggling families.
Official data on evictions underestimates the real scale of the problem. While legal evictions are tracked, illegal evictions often go unreported. According to the study, only 55% of evictions experienced by Black women in Detroit were court-ordered. The remaining 45% were illegal, meaning landlords forced tenants out without going through the legal eviction process.
In Michigan, a landlord cannot remove a tenant without a court order. However, many landlords ignore this law and use illegal tactics to push people out. Some landlords repeatedly threaten tenants, hoping to scare them into leaving before a legal eviction even happens. Others remove tenants by force, lock them out, shut off utilities, or refuse to maintain the home, making it unlivable.
The SECURE Study gathered data from 1,470 Black women in Metro Detroit between July 2021 and July 2024. These women, most of whom have children, shared their experiences of both legal and illegal evictions. The study also included 55 in-depth interviews with women who faced illegal evictions.
Over 50% of the study participants had been evicted at some point in their lives. However, official data does not capture the full extent of how illegal evictions impact families. In-depth interviews revealed how devastating these evictions can be.
One woman described how she was forced to leave everything behind when she was illegally evicted. “A whole house worth of stuff—kids’ beds, clothes, toys, my things. It’s just stuff, yes, but when you have to walk away from everything you own, it feels like leaving a part of yourself.”
Another major issue is the violence and harassment that female tenants face. Many women in the study reported being threatened or even assaulted by landlords. One participant shared how her landlord used intimidation against her: “Me being a single woman, they use threats. They know I can’t fight a man.”
Others described how they had to move quickly to protect themselves and their children. “I had to leave because I was told my house would be shot up. I had no choice but to pack up and move to keep my children safe,” one woman explained.
Sexual harassment was also a common issue. Some landlords made inappropriate advances or demanded sexual favors in exchange for housing. One woman recalled how her landlord asked her personal questions about her relationship status, then suggested that if she agreed to certain things, she wouldn’t have to pay rent.
Another woman described how landlords prey on struggling single mothers. “They know we’re desperate. They tell us, ‘Come on in with your Section 8. We won’t fix anything, but we’ll take that guaranteed rent money.’”
Housing discrimination also plays a big role in the eviction crisis. About 40% of the women in the study reported experiencing discrimination based on their race, economic status, family size, ethnicity, age, or relationship status.
The study’s findings suggest that misogynoir—discrimination against Black women—contributes to the eviction crisis. Landlords and property managers take advantage of the fact that Black women face unique challenges in securing safe and stable housing.
Hearing so many painful stories took an emotional toll on the study’s lead researcher. After months of listening to accounts of illegal evictions, harassment, and violence, she needed therapy and self-care to recover from the stress.
The eviction crisis is not just about housing—it is a human rights issue. Families should not have to live in fear of losing their homes illegally. Black women and children deserve protection, stability, and justice. More needs to be done to address illegal evictions and ensure that all renters, regardless of their background, are treated fairly.
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