Overview
Facing eviction is a traumatic event that forces tenants into a fight, flight or freeze response. Our focus groups with Multnomah County tenants revealed that their responses to eviction are directly shaped by their access to support. Many tenants are unable to access formal support and therefore respond to eviction by freezing up or fleeing their home. Conversely, tenants who can access formal support—including rental assistance or legal assistance—exhibit a fight response, leveraging external support to challenge or avoid their eviction.
Key Findings:
Flight was the most common tenant response. Several tenants experienced multiple response types, with flight being the most commonly reported. Of the tenants who described their response to eviction, 51 percent experienced a fight response, meaning they took action to avoid or challenge the eviction. Additionally, 58 percent experienced a flight response, meaning they vacated their home to avoid trouble with the legal system or their landlord. Another 17 percent experienced a freeze response, meaning they were overwhelmed with fear or uncertainty and therefore unable to act.
Vulnerable groups faced unique challenges. Black, African American and African tenants faced racial discrimination; Latine immigrants faced language barriers and tenants with a criminal record often chose to avoid engaging with the legal system altogether.
Tenants experienced intense stress and adverse health impacts during eviction. Health impacts included anxiety, depression, insomnia and high blood pressure.
Tenants’ most urgent needs were money, finding housing and legal assistance. Many tenants who were forced out of their homes relied on friends or family members for a temporary place to stay.
Few tenants received formal support. Only 25 percent of tenants accessed formal support. Some were unaware that support was available, while others tried to secure support but encountered barriers that prevented them from obtaining it. Confusing requirements, time limitations and lack of communication from organizations they contacted were among the challenges tenants faced.
Tenants’ access to support shaped how they were able to respond to their eviction. Whether tenants fought, fled or froze depended on their awareness of and access to resources. Tenants that took action to avoid or challenge their eviction often had some understanding of their rights or existing resources. Conversely, tenants that froze or fled did so because they did not know where to seek help or were too overwhelmed to search for resources.
Policy & Program Recommendations
Create proactive outreach programs to inform tenants of their rights and available resources before they freeze or flee.
Create eviction navigation programs to provide human points of contact for tenants’ seeking support.
Establish a Tenant Right to Counsel to guarantee legal representation for tenants facing eviction.
Increase emergency rental assistance funding as an investment in public health.
General Information:
Researchers: Natalie J. Cholula, Lisa K. Bates, and Alex Farrington. With support from Marisa Zapata, Colleen Carroll, Jacen Greene, and Hadley Bates.
Funding: Portland Housing Bureau, Oregon Housing and Community Services. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the views and opinions expressed in the report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Portland Housing Bureau or Oregon Housing and Community Services.
Citation Details: Cholula, Natalie J.; Bates, Lisa; Farrington, Alex; Zapata, Marisa; Carroll, Colleen; Greene, Jacen; and Bates, Hadley. (2024) "Fight, Flight, Freeze: How Access to Support Shapes Tenant Responses to Eviction in Multnomah County." https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41434