You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Hola Shortwave listeners, it's Maria Gadoe here and I'm with NPR Health Policy Correspondent

Selena Simmons-Duffin.

Hey Selena, welcome welcome.

Hi Maria, it's nice to talk to you.

Selena it is always great to talk to you and today you're bringing us a story about something

we at Shortwave have been wondering about for a long time which is what is the research

actually show about the links between housing, insecurity and COVID-19.

When people get evicted from their apartment or house, does that lead to more spread of

COVID?

Right, I mean it's a big question because while it might seem straightforward on its face

that people getting evicted with lead to more spread, it's actually kind of complicated.

A lot of different things contribute to COVID spread, masks, distancing and the way that

eviction and COVID spread intersect is kind of nuanced.

And it's a big deal because as you've reported roughly one in every four renters is having

trouble paying rent.

That's actually one of the key findings from a recent poll that NPR did with the Robert

Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, right?

Yeah, exactly.

So today on the show I want to bring you this episode in three acts bringing in some

of the reporting I did recently for all things considered.

Act one, I'll introduce our listeners to a family and the trade-offs they had to make

...