A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation that seeks to reduce the number of evictions in the United States.
The Eviction Crisis Act of 2021 – introduced by U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Todd Young (R-IN) – would address the eviction crisis in several ways.
First, it would create a national database to standardize data and track evictions to better inform policy decisions. It would also establish a Federal Advisory Committee on Eviction Research to make recommendations related to data collection, as well as policies and practices that can prevent evictions or mitigate their consequences. In addition, the bill would authorize funding for a study to track evictions, analyze landlord-tenant law, and assess varying factors in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
It also seeks to curb the incidence of preventable evictions by investing in state and local government programs; expand the use of landlord-tenant community courts; increase the presence of social services representatives for tenants; support increased funding for legal representation for tenants; and improve information on tenant screening reports, among other measures.
“Time and again, I’ve heard from Coloradans about how one single event—an unexpected illness, a car accident, or a family emergency—can lead to their lives falling apart. Too often, these unavoidable circumstances can result in a family being evicted from their home and falling into a cycle of poverty that lasts for years,” Bennet said. “The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened this deep national crisis. The hardship caused by eviction is agonizing for the millions of American families evicted every year, and it’s past time for us to invest in comprehensive solutions to prevent avoidable evictions.”
Since 1960, the median household’s income grew by less than 40 percent, yet the median rental payment rose by nearly 80 percent. This has led to an eviction crisis, with roughly 3.7 million eviction cases filed annually in recent years. This crisis has undermined family economic security while placing financial strain on the nation’s health care system, courts, schools, and local governments.
“Stable housing is a vital part of getting people back on their feet. I’ve long worked on efforts to address homelessness and increase the supply of housing, and I’m proud to partner with Senator Bennet on this bipartisan initiative. After dealing with extraordinary job losses throughout the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that legislation that can help prevent avoidable evictions and reduce homelessness is more important than ever,” Portman said.
The Eviction Crisis Act has been endorsed by the National Low Income Housing Coalition; Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign; National Alliance to End Homelessness; Children’s HealthWatch; NAACP; COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project; National Association of Social Workers; National Education Association; National League of Cities; and the Food Research & Action Center.
“Home is the foundation of the rest of our lives: our family connections, our education, our work, and our health. The shortage of affordable housing and evictions tear at that foundation. And as we learned during the pandemic, the lack of a safe, stable home can even mean the difference between life and death,” Brown said.