updates

Gracie Himmelstein and Matthew Desmond
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Born Evicted: Eviction During Pregnancy Worsens Birth Outcomes and Child Wellbeing

Disparities in health at birth expose fissures in the American dream. In a March 1st JAMA Pediatrics journal article, we examine how evictions impact birth weight, prematurity, and infant mortality.

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Eric S. Peterson
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Renters can be haunted by past evictions or debt claims even if they never made it to court

Landlords deny there is such thing as a ‘black list,’ but renters have experienced run-ins that make them believe it is real.

Read more at The Salt Lake Tribune
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Eric S. Peterson, Cathy McKitrick, Ria …
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Landlord group opposes translating renter information for minority tenants

A few months ago housing advocates, professors and attorneys came together as a working group formed by the Utah courts to brainstorm ways to halt, or at least curb, evictions.

Read more at Utah Investigative Journalism Project
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Eric S. Peterson
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Lawmakers again asked to stop surprise fees in rental agreements

Sharane Hillyard loved her condo in Midvale when she moved in at the end of 2019. She was wowed by the amenities — a pool, hot tub, table tennis and bocce courts. Lots of diversions.

Read more at Utah Investigative Journalism Project
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Anne Kat Alexander and Alieza Durana
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Federal Moratorium Extended, but Eviction Filings Continue

In September 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order that temporarily halts some evictions as a public health strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19. Because eviction and the threat of eviction lead to …

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Eric S. Peterson
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Critics see law firm’s debt collection maneuver as an abuse of the court system

In 2020 the Law Offices of Kirk Cullimore filed 45% of all eviction lawsuits in Utah but firm partner and state Sen. Kirk Cullimore Jr. said that he personally stepped back from that work midyear.

Read more at Utah Investigative Journalism Project
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Eric S. Peterson
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Utah Lawmaker’s Firm Squeezes Thousands From Renters Months After Evictions

Nichole Anderson, an Ogden librarian, was navigating a divorce and raising two small children in the summer of 2019.

Read more at Utah Investigative Journalism Project
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