The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant policy implications on the concurrent housing and overdose crises in the United States. One area of concern is the relationship between residential eviction and fatal overdose risk. While housing insecurity is a known risk factor for overdose, the specific impact of residential eviction on overdose mortality is not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, a study was conducted in Rhode Island to examine the relationship between neighborhood-level residential eviction rates and overdose mortality from 2016 to 2021. The study used a Bayesian spatiotemporal approach to model the association between quintiles of eviction rates and fatal overdose rates at the census tract level. The study's findings suggest a direct, dose-response relationship between eviction incidence rates and fatal overdose rates over the full study period. Prior to the implementation of a statewide eviction moratorium, census tracts with the highest eviction rates had significantly higher rates of overdose mortality compared to those with the lowest eviction rates. Specifically, the posterior mean relative rate of overdose mortality was 1.49 times higher in the highest eviction quintile compared to the lowest quintile, with a 95% credible interval of 1.05 to 2.13. However, during the periods of eviction moratorium, the associations between eviction rates and overdose mortality were non-significant. These findings highlight the importance of eviction prevention policies, such as rent relief and limitations on landlord-initiated evictions, in reducing neighborhood-level overdose inequalities. By investing in these policies, lawmakers may be able to complement harm reduction efforts and mitigate the risk of fatal overdose in vulnerable communities. The study's results emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the intertwined housing and overdose crises, one that prioritizes both harm reduction and eviction prevention strategies.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40018241/