The COVID-19 Pandemic Housing Crisis: Identifying Owner-Vulnerable Neighborhoods in California

The COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous economic impacts, including creating financial difficulties for many homeowners. While foreclosures have been lower during the public health crisis, primarily due to the current moratorium in place, many homeowners are still receiving pre-foreclosure notices with a disproportionate share going to disadvantaged communities. Many analysts and housing advocates fear that there will be a new wave of home losses once temporary protections.

This brief outlines the development of an Owner Vulnerability Index (OVI) to assist public agencies and community organizations in implementing homeowner protection policies and any COVID-19 mortgage relief programs and to help identify those neighborhoods with the most at-risk homeowners. The OVI is a useful analytical and policy tool for identifying and prioritizing neighborhoods at higher risk of foreclosure to preserve homeownership and promote neighborhood stabilization.