We recognize that understanding eviction trends is essential for community leaders, policymakers, housing advocates, and renters who seek a clear picture of housing stability challenges in Idaho. The Idaho Policy Institute’s study on formal eviction rates for 2020, particularly for Shoshone County, offers a snapshot of how landlord-tenant relations, court actions, and pandemic interruptions shaped housing outcomes during a turbulent year. While statewide eviction statistics from 2020 show broad patterns, drilling down into local data—such as Shoshone County’s experience—reveals the intersection of legal processes, court closures, federal moratoriums, rental assistance programs, and local housing market conditions that influenced who stayed housed and who faced formal eviction. Understanding this localized data is not only important for historical record keeping but also for informing the policy decisions needed to help prevent displacement and strengthen community stability in Idaho’s rural regions.
Overview of the Idaho Policy Institute Eviction Data for 2020
The Idaho Policy Institute Formal Eviction Rate 2020 Shoshone County (IPI) at Boise State University conducted one of the most comprehensive statewide eviction studies on record by collecting eviction records from the Idaho Supreme Court. For 2020, the statewide data show that 1,893 households had at least one eviction filing and 1,127 of those households received formal eviction orders—meaning tenants were legally removed from their homes after a court judgment. This amounted to approximately 1% of the state’s renting households receiving an eviction filing and around 0.6% receiving a formal eviction judgment. This represented a nearly 30% decrease in both eviction filings and formal evictions compared to 2019, largely due to the disruptions in court operations and emergency policy measures introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as statewide court closures and federal eviction moratoriums.
While this statewide picture is vital, it masks the county-level variations in eviction outcomes across Idaho. Counties experienced eviction pressures differently in 2020 because of variations in population density, local housing markets, renter household concentrations, and how eviction filing and mediation processes were managed at the local level.
Shoshone County: Local Context and Demographics
Shoshone County, located in Idaho’s Silver Valley mining region, includes communities such as Wallace and Kellogg. With approximately 13,169 residents and an estimated 28% of housing units occupied by renters, the county had roughly 1,588 renter households in 2020. This composition creates a distinct backdrop for eviction trends in the county, as renter household percentages and housing market pressures in rural areas differ from larger urban centers like Ada or Canyon counties.
The eviction rate for 2020 in Shoshone County exists in the Idaho Policy Institute’s interactive county eviction database, although it was not specifically highlighted in the statewide narrative reports released to the public. The formal eviction rate for any county is calculated by dividing the number of households with court-ordered evictions by the total number of renting households in that county. This is the same methodology used statewide and mirrored across the IPI eviction dashboards.
Accessing Shoshone County’s specific eviction figures through the interactive map reveals that rural counties often experience different eviction dynamics than larger metropolitan areas. In places like Shoshone County, mediation services may be less available, rental assistance outreach may be limited, and housing vacancy rates may be lower. Collectively, these factors shape how eviction filings translate into formal eviction judgments.
Impact of Pandemic Policy on Evictions During 2020
The homeless and housing stability landscape in Idaho in 2020 was shaped by public health responses to COVID-19. Courts in Idaho were ordered to halt eviction hearings for a period in April 2020, causing eviction filings to crash. Upon reopening in May, filings spiked sharply, reflecting pent-up demand from landlords seeking to regain rental income after prolonged court closures.
At the same time, Idaho residents were affected by federal eviction moratoriums: the CARES Act protections offered limited coverage based on federally backed properties, and the CDC eviction moratorium was broader but required tenants to provide documentation showing they met income criteria and had no alternative housing options. Advocates reported that many tenants were unaware of how to apply or lacked access to navigate these requirements, reducing the practical reach of these protections despite their existence.
In addition, rental assistance programs distributed millions of dollars in emergency support across Idaho, but the distribution was uneven, and awareness varied. For example, Ada County received significant designated funding and mediation services that helped many cases avoid formal eviction. In contrast, rural counties like Shoshone were challenged by limited outreach and awareness.
County Variations in Eviction Patterns
While statewide eviction rates provide a valuable baseline, county variation highlights the reality that eviction risk is not evenly distributed. For example, Ada County’s extensive mediation programs keep formal eviction rates below state averages, while some other counties historically displayed higher proportions of tenants losing eviction cases in court. IPI’s extended datasets for later years (2021–2023) show that formal eviction outcomes and mediation impacts continue to vary significantly by county. Rural jurisdictions often lack the infrastructure or partnerships to provide mediation or robust rental assistance outreach.
For Shoshone County, this means its eviction trends must be interpreted in the context of local housing scarcity, renter vulnerability, and limited eviction prevention resources. High housing demand with low vacancy rates creates pressure on tenants and landlords alike, and eviction records—whether formal or informal—can have long-term consequences for renter households, including difficulty in securing future housing due to background checks.
Conclusion
We conclude that examining the Idaho Policy Institute Formal Eviction Rate for 2020 in Shoshone County highlights the importance of county-level analysis in understanding housing stability challenges. While the statewide eviction rate dipped in 2020 due to court closures, federal moratoriums, and emergency rental assistance programs, localized patterns in rural counties like Shoshone reveal the complex interplay of legal processes, housing market conditions, and resource accessibility that influence eviction outcomes. Comprehensive eviction data, such as that collected by the Idaho Policy Institute, provides a crucial foundation for policymakers and community stakeholders to identify gaps, target interventions, and develop housing stability strategies tailored to the needs of each county. Ultimately, tracking formal evictions at the county level helps create transparency around an issue that affects the lives of families, landlords, and entire communities across Idaho.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the formal eviction rate?
The formal eviction rate represents the percentage of renter households that were legally ordered out of their homes by a court after eviction filings.
Why did the statewide eviction rate drop in 2020?
The eviction rate dropped largely due to court closures, federal eviction moratoriums, and rental assistance programs introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Does the Idaho Policy Institute provide county-level eviction data?
Yes, the Idaho Policy Institute’s interactive data dashboard includes county-level eviction filing and formal eviction figures for each county, including Shoshone.
How does Shoshone County compare to other Idaho counties?
Rural counties like Shoshone often have different eviction dynamics than larger urban areas due to factors like housing supply, mediation resources, and local outreach.
What policies help reduce formal evictions?
Programs such as mediation services, rental assistance funding, and eviction moratoriums have shown effectiveness in reducing the number of formal evictions in some counties.
