This Week's Chicago Deal Sheet

What if moratoriums and tenant protection programs put in place to help renters facing eviction actually increase homelessness rather than prevent it?

That's one of the thorny and counterintuitive questions raised in a new academic paper about how society addresses the housing crisis. The Welfare Effects of Eviction and Homelessness Policies, published late last year, was written by Stanford University Ph.D. candidate Boaz Abramson using detailed data from San Diego to measure the impact of all-out eviction moratoriums on homelessness like those introduced during the pandemic. The paper also examined the longer-term effects of measures like right-to-counsel legislation to slow and sometimes reverse the eviction process.

Abramson’s study found that far from helping, right-to-counsel laws drive up rents for lower-income renters to such levels that homelessness actually increases by 15%.

Read the full story here.

In Case You Missed It...

It’s still unknown which two National Football League teams will face off next month in this year’s Super Bowl, but another competition has some wondering if the real showdown will be between two potential stadium sites in Los Angeles and Arlington, Texas. 

California and Texas have been in an unofficial battle over the past few years, with both markets vying to attract and retain businesses, residents and investment activity — and Texas regularly winning, partially thanks to its low-regulation environment. In the latest volley in that battle, AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys, has been offered as an alternative to host this year’s Super Bowl, currently poised to occur at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13. 

Read the full story here.