Since the summer of 2020, we’ve documented the impact of the pandemic on housing and evictions. We followed tenants, landlords, lawyers, judges, sheriffs and social workers across the U.S. who were affected.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletters
Get our weekly newsletter
In partnership with Frontline and Frontline

Facing Eviction

Producer and Writer: Bonnie Bertram
Editor: Anne Checler
Co-Producers: Anne Checler and Erik German
Associate Producer: Emily Orr
Field Producers: Daniel Casarez and Brian Palmer

To stave off a nationwide housing crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, Washington lawmakers passed a massive spending package and officials implemented new housing policies, including a nationwide ban on evictions. In cities across the nation, Retro Report and PBS Frontline captured this unprecedented period. Reporting from Texas, California, New Jersey and elsewhere, reporters examined this massive, years-long experiment in housing policy through the eyes of tenants, landlords, social workers and court officers who were on the frontlines.

A special thank you to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Economic Hardship Reporting Project for supporting this project.

Subscribe to our newsletter for our latest work and surprises from history.

Educators, click below for this video's lesson plan.

Sign up for our educator newsletter to receive classroom resources, and browse more lesson plans and videos here.

Related:
The Wall Street Journal ‘Facing Eviction’ Review: When Help Is Less Than Helpful: ‘Frontline’ looks at tenants and landlords across the U.S. struggling with the complex bureaucracy of eviction moratoriums in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.
Morning Joe (MSNBC Live TV Interview) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
Washington Journal(C-SPAN National Television) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
The Cross Connection (MSNBC National TV) Interview with Retro Report Executive Producer Kyra Darnton
Forum (KQED San Francisco) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
In the Moment (South Dakota Public Broadcasting Radio) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
The Source(Texas Public Radio) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
Houston Matters (Houston Public Broadcasting) Interview with Facing Eviction Co-Producer Erik German
The Morning Show (KGO San Francisco Commercial Radio) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
Think (KERA Texas NPR) Interview with Facing Eviction Writer and Producer Bonnie Bertram
The Wall Street Journal What to Watch: The 18 Best New Movies and TV Shows From July
Daily Journal Facing Eviction mentioned in the Kankakee
TV Insider Facing Eviction mentioned in TV highlights
Star Tribune Facing Eviction highlighted

TranscriptLesson Plan