The Opioid Epidemic Meets the COVID-19 Pandemic (Forum)

Children at Risk: Ensuring Child Safety During the Pandemic

Women’s Housing Precarity During and Beyond COVID-19

COVID-19 has amplified gendered disparities in caregiving, work, and housing in the United States. This Policy Spotlight brings together the latest research and data to discuss the intersection of these disparities with regard to the anticipated eviction crisis in Illinois. Housing insecurity and potential evictions will affect thousands of Illinois single-parent households, most of whom are female-headed, and disproportionately Black and Latino. This will likely lead to a sustained crisis of financial, health, and housing fluctuation, and set back historic gains in women’s equality.The recent $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that was signed into law in March 2021 is an important step in the right direction, as are the federal moratorium extension and federal endeavors. However, there are challenges with getting assistance to where it is needed. There is a need for both wise allocation of these resources and the infusion of additional interventions to stave off the devastating effects of eviction. Upstream approaches must be put in place now, especially because landlords are filing actions in court despite the moratorium.

Race and Eviction During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic altered almost all aspects of life, including judicial proceedings. In response to the need for social distancing to keep users of the justice system safe, courts rapidly instituted unprecedented public health precautions that participants in the court system described as chaotic.1 Courts delayed and deferred cases. They also undertook a period of experimentation with remote and virtual operations.

Few if any areas of law were untouched, but landlord-tenant law was especially disrupted. Early in the pandemic, some states and then the federal government put in place broad moratoria on (most) evictions, so that a large class of legal cases was indefinitely put on hold. This Policy Spotlight reviews novel national survey data of attorneys, judges and other court personnel, as well as individuals who had courts experiences during the pandemic. We asked about how people’s housing situations were affected by the pandemic, with special attention to differences across racial groups in this regard.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on State Court Proceedings

This Policy Spotlight was created through a partnership with the National Center for State Courts. The authors examine the ways COVID-19 mitigation policies affected state courts during the pandemic and highlight areas where changes intended to keep courts functioning led to uneven access. The report draws its findings from surveys and focus groups that included litigants, lawyers, judges and court personnel. It is the first in a series from IGPA that will explore how COVID-19 affected access to justice during the pandemic, and it comes as Illinois and other states evaluate the impact of the pandemic and consider how court proceedings may operate in the future.

Children at Risk: Ensuring Child Safety During the Pandemic

How often do graduated and flat rate states change their tax rates?

Mitigating Housing Instability During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Celebrate this milestone with us!

Seventy-five years ago today, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees established the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. We are so proud of the 75 years of impact that IGPA scholars have had. Since its creation in 1947 by the Illinois General Assembly and the Board of Trustees, IGPA has been the place where objective, world-class research and public policy meet. Over the years, IGPA’s role has evolved, whether it has been providing research to the Illinois Legislature, convening new Working Groups that map to needs of the state, or facilitating internships and fellowships to promote Illinois’ public policy leaders.

Congratulations to all of you for making IGPA the People’s Policy Think Tank!

The Opioid Epidemic Meets the COVID-19 Pandemic (Forum)