Over the last eighteen months, eviction moratoria at the federal and state level have protected millions of households from displacement amid a deadly pandemic. But these critical protections were thrown into disarray last month when, in two separate decisions, the Supreme Court struck down New York state’s eviction moratorium and, subsequently, the comparatively weaker federal ban.

Absent eviction protections, 7.8 million renter households behind on rent are at risk of imminent displacement.

The current crisis, while triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, is many years in the making. More than half of US states ban rent control, and most have weak-to-nonexistent tenants’ rights. Evictions are not just about money, but also power — and the nation’s devotion to a property rights regime that gives landlords tremendous power over tenants’ day-to-day lives has laid the groundwork for the impending wave of displacement.