A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Numbers 18-144 regarding a report on eviction data, and 19-10, regarding a report sharing information to assist in analyzing displacement

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration KHALIL MOGASSABI Deputy Director Chief of Planning 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Date: April 22, 2019 Re: Awaiting Report #18-144 regarding obtaining and analyzing further detailed and specific eviction data and 19-10 regarding sharing information to assist in analyzing displacement In response to the above-referenced policy orders requesting additional analysis of eviction filing data and other information that could be beneficial in analyzing displacement of residents, we report the following. In December 2018, we shared with the City Council, initial analysis of electronic data available through on-line records of the Massachusetts Trial Court system regarding Summary Process Complaints (“Eviction Complaints”) filed against tenant households residing in Cambridge. Expanding on that work, we have completed the attached more detailed analysis of Evictions Complaints filed between 2013 and 2018. We have analyzed available data further, and have also now included data on Eviction Complaints filed during 2018. ANALYSIS Between 2013 and 2018 there were an average of 572 Eviction Complaints filed each year -- ranging from a low of 510 filings in 2016 to a high of 662 in 2014, with 533 Eviction Complaints filed in 2018. Data from 2018 show that roughly 22% of new Evictions Complaints were filed in Housing Court, an option not available in earlier years. During the six year period, an average of 372 tenant households faced Eviction Complaints each year. We found that 73% of Eviction Complaints were filed against tenant households who faced only one complaint, while 27% of Eviction Complaints were filed against tenant households who have had multiple Eviction Complaints filed against them. We analyzed Eviction Complaints by housing type, separating complaints filed against tenants who reside in affordable housing from those filed in market- rate housing. We included the following as affordable housing for the purpose of this analysis: (1) housing owned or managed by the Cambridge Housing Authority and non-profit affordable housing providers, and (2) privately-owned housing subject to affordability restrictions including inclusionary housing units.

Residents living in market-rate housing may face eviction for cause or for no cause, as we have seen in some recent cases after building sales. Affordable housing providers who rely on government subsidies generally can only file eviction complaints for cause, and given the high costs associated with legal actions, filing an Eviction Complaint in court is often a last resort to enforce lease requirements. Most filings occur in properties with more than 50 units. Among properties with market-rate units, the majority of filings were in those with more than 12 units and that are professionally managed. We further analyzed information regarding monetary judgments awarded to landlords and found that 39% of such monetary judgments of the average 320 judgments per year were for $1,000 or less, with another 23% for amounts between $1,000 and $2,000. We reviewed other data collected on Eviction Complaints and found that there is no comprehensive source on Eviction Complaints and outcomes. Some legal services providers for example, survey data periodically but do not collect data on evictions in a systemic way. We will continue to work with legal service providers to refine the protocol for reviewing court records to confirm and augment the data collected to date. We expect to update the attached report about eviction complaints on an annual basis.

Eviction Complaints Over Time January 2013 - December 2018 0 100 200 300 400 500 [phone removed] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Per Year Q1 26% Q2 23% Q3 27% Q4 24% Eviction Complaints per Quarter (All years)

572 376 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Eviction Complaints Defendant Households Note: “Defendant Households” includes both households that have had a single complaint filed against them and those households with two or more complaints filed against them. Annual Averages January 2013 - December 2018

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 Eviction Complaints by Month January 2013 - December 2018

0 100 200 300 400 500 [phone removed] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Where Eviction Complaints are Filed January 2013 – December 2018 Housing Court District Court

6% 10% 7% 6% 71% Eviction Complaints by Building Size January 2013 – December 2018 1 - 3 units 4 - 12 units 13 - 25 units 26 - 50 units > 50 units

Note: A significant number of < $500 judgments likely represent only court fees and do not include an award of damages against a tenant and to a landlord. This chart excludes filings where there was no monetary judgment listed, where the total was $0, or where a judgement was against the landlord. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 [phone removed] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Eviction Complaint Monetary Judgment Trends January 2013 – December 2018 < $500 $500 - $1,000 $1,001 - $2,000 > $2,000 Total Monetary Judgments

73% 15% 6% 3% 1% 2% 1 2 3 4 5 6 or more complaints All Housing Market Rate Housing Only 85% 10% 4% 1%< 0% < 0% Number of Eviction Complaints per Household by Housing Type January 2013 – December 2018

Eviction Complaint Monetary Judgment Totals January 2013 – December 2018 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% < $500 $500 - $1,000 $1,001 - $2,000 > $2,000 All Housing Market Rate Housing Only Note: A significant number of < $500 judgments likely represent only court fees and do not include an award of damages against a tenant and to a landlord. This chart excludes filings where there was no monetary judgment listed, where the total was $0, or where a judgement was against the landlord.

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Eviction Complaints: Market Rate Housing Defendant Households: Market Rate Housing Eviction Complaints: Affordable Housing Defendant Housholds: Affordable Housing Note: “Defendant Households” includes both households that have had a single complaint filed against them and those households with two or more complaints filed against them. 2013 2016 2014 2015 2017 2018 Comparing Eviction Complaints and Defendant Households January 2013 – December 2018

*Note: The Larger Market Rate Buildings category includes some eviction complaints filed against inclusionary housing units. 0 50 100 150 [phone removed] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Market Rate Eviction Complaints by Building Type January 2013 - December 2018 Small Market Rate Buildings (1 - 12 Units) Larger Market Rate Buildings (> 12 Units)*

Eviction complaint less likely than Citywide average Eviction complaint more likely than Citywide average Delving into the Data: Understanding Market Rate Eviction Complaints January 2013 – December 2018 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 1. East Cambridge 2. MIT / Area 2 3. Wellington-Harrington 4. The Port 5. Cambridgeport 6. Mid-Cambridge 7. Riverside 8. Agassiz 9. Neighborhood Nine 10. West Cambridge 11. North Cambridge 12. Cambridge Highlands 13. Strawberry Hill 1. Due to eviction filings related to noise complaint policy. 2. Small neighborhood with disproportionate effect from one building. 1 2