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The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
The big idea
People of Asian descent living in the U.S. experienced an increase in housing vulnerability in 2021 – as measured by the share who said they had fallen behind on their rent or mortgage payments – even as the government spent over US$5 trillion trying to relieve the COVID-19 pandemic’s burden on Americans. Meanwhile, housing vulnerability among white people, Black people and Hispanic people all fell during this period.
These are the main findings of our recent working paper that examined housing vulnerability during the pandemic.
The massive upheaval sparked by the pandemic in early 2020 put millions out of work and made it harder for many people to afford basic necessities like rent amid government-imposed lockdowns. In December 2020, over 2 million homeowners were more than three months behind on their mortgage payment, and 8 million renters were behind on their rent, according to a March 2021 Consumer Finance Bureau report.
We wanted to better understand what was driving this degree of housing vulnerability, how that changed during the pandemic and across ethnic groups, and how it differed between renters and homeowners. To find out, we examined data from the Census Household Pulse Survey, which has sought to quickly measure the social and economic toll from the pandemic in frequent surveys, for three different periods: April/May 2020, April/May 2021 and April/May 2022.
We found that housing vulnerability was high for all groups in early 2020 as the first financial shock of the pandemic struck, though people of color and renters were especially hard hit.
Among homeowners, the overall share of people who said they were not caught up on their mortgage payments was elevated in 2020 but declined in 2021 as government aid helped relieve household hardships. An exception was for homeowners of Asian descent, who reported even higher levels of housing vulnerability in 2021 – and more than any other group. By 2022, housing vulnerability had come down for all groups.
The picture was much worse for renters. About 25% of Black renters reported being behind on rent in 2020, compared with 18% for Hispanic respondents and 9.5% for Asians. While the figure fell slightly in 2021 for Black people and Hispanics, the share soared for Asians to 17.1%. The figures stayed elevated in the double-digits for all groups except for white people in early 2022.
An additional econometric analysis we conducted, which adjusted the data for levels of education, income levels and other factors, confirmed our results.
Why it matters
Housing vulnerability is an important measure to look at because it signals someone may be at risk of losing their home, whether they’re an owner or a renter. In addition, research shows there’s a link between housing vulnerability and other negative health outcomes, such as higher stress levels and mental distress.
Our own research uncovered disparities in how different groups experienced this vulnerability during the pandemic, when the government was spending trillions to support families and businesses. It suggests some groups benefited more than others from these relief efforts.
What still isn’t known
Our study didn’t reveal why Asian housing vulnerability increased from 2020 to 2021 and why this group of people didn’t seem to benefit as much from the federal aid as other groups did.
An August 2020 McKinsey report suggested aid to Asian small businesses would likely lag behind other groups due to language barriers or a lack of understanding of the system. The same thing might be true for aid to households as well.
What’s next
In our future research, we plan to investigate what factors contributed to the rise in housing vulnerability among Asians relative to other groups. We believe it’s important for policymakers to examine these issues in hopes of making future aid programs more equitable.
Kusum Mundra, Associate Professor of Economics, Rutgers University - Newark and Ruth Uwaifo Oyelere, Associate Professor of Economics, Agnes Scott College
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Following a snowy Monday that led to school closures, the National Weather Service forecast is calling for more snow on Tuesday ahead of a shift to a rainier weather pattern later in the week.
Early Monday, the Lake County Office of Education reported that all of Lake County’s public schools were closed due to the overnight and early morning snowfall.
Snow continued to fall at times during the day across parts of the county on Monday, but in most lower elevation areas it melted off by the late morning.
However, areas like Cobb continue to be coated in a heavy layer of snow.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for areas of Lake County above the 1,500 foot elevation mark that will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday.
The forecast said “another low elevation snow producing system is on tap for Tuesday morning into Tuesday night.”
It calls for snow with accumulations of up to 6 inches in those areas.
The National Weather Service’s in-depth forecast explains that “a period of heavier showers will result in one more round of heavy snow for elevations over 1500 feet Tuesday into Tuesday night.”
There will then be a pattern shift to slightly warmer conditions, with moderate to heavy rainfall below 4,000 feet expected late Thursday and Friday.
The Tuesday snow will be the result of a system that is the last in the series of cold storm systems bringing low elevation snow for the foreseeable future, forecaster said.
“It is becoming increasingly likely that the weather pattern in California will shift substantially beginning on Thursday as warmer air moves in from the Pacific,” the National Weather Service reported.
The forecast said snow levels will rise substantially, easily to over 4,000 feet by Friday as a warm front moves through the region. “This front will also spread rain across the region, some of which could be heavy.”
The Lake County forecast expects rain to follow the snow beginning on Thursday and continuing into early next week.
Temperatures are expected to rise slightly during the day from the mid 40s to the low 50s, and at night from the high 20s to the high 30s.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. — A Silver Alert has been issued for a missing and at-risk Santa Rosa man last seen a week ago.
Lawrence “Larry” Atchison was last seen on foot at Leafwood Circle and Silverwood Street near his home in the Bennett Valley area of Santa Rosa at 4:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27.
The California Highway Patrol issued the Silver Alert on behalf of the Santa Rosa Police Department.
He grew up in Lake County and his family is looking to spread the word in areas where he's previously lived.
Atchison is 64 years old. He is 6 feet tall, weighs 200 pounds, has gray hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing a black fleece zip up jacket, blue jeans and black slip on shoes.
Family said he has medical conditions including dementia and Alzheimer's.
A Facebook group has been formed to share information about his case.
Anyone with information is asked to call local law enforcement via 911 or authorities in Sonoma County at 707-528-5222.
State and federal agencies in California are joining forces to address the decline of monarch butterflies and other pollinator species in the state.
The Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative aims to facilitate long-term conservation of the western population of the migratory monarch butterfly and its habitats, as well as other pollinator species in the state.
“Monarchs and other pollinators are critical to maintaining ecosystem resilience and preserving California’s biodiversity,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. “It will take a collective effort between agencies to make significant headway toward the state’s conservation goals and recover pollinator populations.”
Recent surveys reveal a positive turn for the monarchs. The 2023 count of overwintering monarchs along the California coast showed a robust population of more than 330,000 butterflies. This represents more than a thousandfold increase over the all-time low count of less than 2,000 individuals in 2020.
“We are encouraged by the promising recent reports of overwintering western monarchs in California and remain committed to working with others to implement conservation actions that benefit all pollinators,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Regional Director Paul Souza.
Despite the recent increase, scientists estimate that western monarchs have declined by approximately 80% since the 1980s due to loss of breeding habitat and coastal overwintering habitat, climate change and the effects of pesticides.
Western monarchs still have a long way to go to recover and the Collaborative hopes to make a difference.
The group will identify, adopt, promote and implement ecosystem-based management approaches that can be applied within each partner’s jurisdiction to support the western migratory population of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators in California.
“I had a chance to witness monarch migration this winter on the Monterey Peninsula, and it moved me deeply,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “Butterflies, bees and other pollinators are not only beautiful, but also essential to our environment and food production. They are resilient, but they need our help more than ever before. This partnership represents so much promise to provide the support that pollinators need to thrive.”
The member agencies include CDFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Coastal Commission, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, California Department of Transportation, Wildlife Conservation Board, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and California Natural Resources Agency.
The Collaborative is basing its priorities on two initiatives: (1) the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ 50-year Monarch Conservation Plan, and (2) the June 2022 Western Monarch Summit, initiated by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), which laid out a set of short-term priorities aimed at improving monarch outcomes in the west.
Combined, the member agencies manage much of the state and federal land in California. These public lands comprise nearly 50 percent of California's total land area. Due to its broad participation, the group is well-positioned to maximize its impact on California's monarch and pollinator habitats.
The Collaborative’s work will also be applicable to private landowners and the general public that want to voluntarily engage in this framework.
“Many participating agencies, including the California Department of Food and Agriculture, work closely with private landowners to increase opportunities for pollinator conservation across various land uses,” said Secretary for Agriculture Karen Ross. “Public-private partnerships are a key ingredient to effective pollinator conservation.”
Agricultural regions of the state have been identified as critical to monarch recovery by the planning documents the Collaborative is adopting.
“The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) proudly assists California’s farmers and ranchers in voluntary implementation of conservation practices, including the planting of many miles of hedgerows over the last decade. Actions like these can support monarchs on California’s agricultural lands,” said NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez. “NRCS is thrilled to continue work like this in collaboration with the Multi-Agency Pollinator Collaborative.”
To increase the likelihood that conservation efforts will succeed, the Collaborative is also working to share the most up-to-date scientific and management information.
“We proudly support the collaborative with the best available science to enhance management decisions that target pollinator conservation,” said U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Regional Director Eric Reichard. “Our goal is to proactively share impartial information and methodologies to facilitate our partner’s conservation objectives.”
Ultimately, the goal of the Collaborative is to help catalyze monarch and pollinator conservation in California by building on the recent increase of monarch butterflies.
Armando Quintero, Director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, added, “This collaborative will provide a venue for us to share knowledge and work together across California to help migratory monarchs and other native pollinators, by focusing our conservation efforts where they are needed most.”
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Male domestic shorthair kitten
This 5-month-old male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. A13a, ID No. LCAC-A-4824.
Male domestic shorthair kitten
This 5-month-old male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. A13b, ID No. LCAC-A-4825.
Male domestic shorthair kitten
This 5-month-old male domestic shorthair kitten has an orange tabby coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. A13c, ID No. LCAC-A-4826.
Female domestic shorthair kitten
This 5-month-old female domestic shorthair kitten has a gray tabby coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 56, ID No. LCAC-A-4827.
‘Boots’
“Boots” is a 1 and a half year old male domestic shorthair with gray and white coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 118, ID No. LCAC-A-4831.
‘Prince’
“Prince” is a 1 and a half year old male domestic shorthair with black and white coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 118, ID No. LCAC-A-4833.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The agenda can be found here.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to
The council on Tuesday will consider initiating proceedings and setting a public hearing to consider certifying a mitigated negative declaration with a mitigation monitoring and reporting program, adopting a general plan amendment and zone change to revise the zoning associated with the Martin Street Phase III Residential Project.
The project is a 40-unit “affordable housing community” to be built by AMG & Associates LLC on a 3.7-acre site at 519 S. Smith St., next to the Phase I and II of the Martin Street Apartments, also built by AMG.
The Lakeport Planning Commission approved a categorical exemption to the California Environmental Quality Act and a finding that the use permit meets the requirements of the zoning ordinance and is consistent with the general plan at its meeting on Jan. 11.
City staff on Tuesday also will seek council direction to work with a traffic engineering consultant to develop preliminary design and detailed cost estimates for various improvement concepts to the Lakeport Boulevard and Larrecou Lane intersection in anticipation of the new courthouse project.
Possible improvements could include a signalized intersection, roundabout, a two-way stop with controlled access or a four-way stop with controlled access.
Also on Tuesday, the council will consider authorizing the city manager to execute the professional services agreement with Community Development Services for federal grant business financial assistance program services, conditionally award a construction contract to James Day Construction Inc. dba Coastal Mountain Electric for the Silveira Community Center Electrical and HVAC Project, meeting new Community Development Department Administrative Specialist Mel Olea and issues a proclamation declaring March as General Aviation Appreciation Month.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Feb. 21; terminate the local emergency for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; terminate the local emergency for the 2023 January atmospheric river event; approval of application 2023-006, with staff recommendations, for the 2023 Children’s Advocacy Walk and Festival.
Email Elizabeth Larson at