• Establishes a new permanent Emergency Assistance Fund to provide short-term financial assistance and housing stability-related services to eviction-vulnerable tenants. As states wind down their COVID-related Emergency Rental Assistance programs, states and local jurisdictions will be able to transition seamlessly to this new program.

• Creates a program to fund state and local governments, expanding the use of landlord-tenant community courts and increasing the presence of social services representatives for tenants, which help both tenants and landlords avoid the high cost of eviction.

Support increased legal representation for tenants:

• Expresses support for substantially increasing funding for the Legal Services Corporation, a public-private partnership that provides legal services to low-income Americans.

• Requires consumer reporting agencies to provide consumers with tenant screening reports when they are requested as part of a rental application process, so tenants can contest and correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

• When a court rules in favor of a tenant in an eviction proceeding, requires those judgments and eviction filings related to that proceeding to be removed from tenant screening reports.

The following state and local organizations have endorsed the Eviction Crisis Act: Colorado Coalition for the Homeless; Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP); Full Circle of Lake County; HomewardBound of the Grand Valley; Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio. 

“Eviction isn’t just a consequence of poverty; it’s a cause of poverty. Yet we allow millions of Americans to face the threat of eviction each year. Families with children are at particularly high risk of eviction. Many evicted families lose their home and possessions, often falling into homelessness. Research shows that eviction thwarts economic mobility and is linked to long-term negative health outcomes. Passing the Eviction Crisis Act would be a big step forward, deepening our understanding of the problem and preventing families from the devastating consequences of displacement. Everyone needs a safe and affordable home. I commend Senators Bennet and Portman for their efforts and look forward to working with them to pass this bill into law,” – Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

“I applaud Senators Michael Bennet and Rob Portman for their leadership in introducing legislation to create new tools to help end America’s ongoing eviction epidemic, which most severely impacts the lowest-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals. If enacted, the “Eviction Crisis Act” would create a new Emergency Housing Assistance Fund – a policy solution developed and advanced by NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home campaign – to extend an emergency cushion to families in crisis. Together [with the legislation’s new data collection and outreach initiatives], the bill would help low-income renters avert the downward spiral of housing instability and homelessness. I urge Congress to quickly pass this bill.” – Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition

“Improving housing stability is not just about keeping people in their homes, but it’s also about providing them with the foundation they need for success in many other areas of life. Stable, affordable homes are linked with better educational outcomes, better health outcomes across the lifespan, greater food security, upward economic mobility, and reduced costs to the taxpayer.” – Mike Koprowski, National Director of the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign

“The Emergency Assistance Fund will not only keep families stable in their homes, but will also promote health. For many of my patient’s families, a housing crisis that threatens their health and well-being is one missed paycheck or one unexpected expense away. This bill is an innovative solution for ensuring that families are protected from economic shocks and the children and their families are able to remain healthy in their homes.” – Dr. Megan Sandel, Co-Lead Principal Investigator for Children’s HealthWatch and pediatrician at Boston Medical Center

“Every day, people become homeless who not long ago had a stable home, but whose lives and housing were disrupted by an economic crisis that a small amount of money could have fixed. Thanks to Senators Bennet and Portman for this legislation that would make such help available, preventing housing instability and homelessness and improving the lives of struggling Americans.” – Nan Roman, President and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness

“The Eviction Crisis Act will play a critical role in supporting rent-burdened tenants struggling to pay their bills. We applaud Senator Bennet’s continued efforts to pass this important legislation. It has the potential to help our clients, many of whom are on the brink of eviction, stay in their homes.” – Zach Neumann, Co-Founder & Executive Director, COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project

“The COVID pandemic has lifted the veil on many inequities across our country that have existed long before 2020.  The pandemic emergency rental assistance program has proven just how powerful funding can be to help stabilize community members in crisis.  Full Circle of Lake County strongly supports the Eviction Crisis Act because it prioritizes equitable funding and support to our most vulnerable neighbors during challenging circumstances.” – Stephanie Cole, Executive Director, Full Circle of Lake County

“On behalf of the members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the nation’s largest professional social work organization, I want to offer my full support for the passage of the Eviction Crisis Act. I also thank Senators Bennet and Portman for joining in a bipartisan collaboration to address one of the country’s most important social problems.  Social workers, as direct providers of services to indigent and low-income families, are all too aware of how financial distress can create a housing crisis which often leads to homelessness. The Emergency Assistance Fund will help state and local governments to develop innovative programs that will lead to housing stability for low-income families.  You can be assured that NASW will join with other Opportunities Start at Home partners to help get this bill passed.”– Dr. Angelo McClain, CEO of the National Association of Social Workers

“America’s cities, towns, and villages are on the front lines of the affordable housing crisis, and local leaders are eager to support bold solutions like the Eviction Crisis Act of 2019. This legislation would give local governments an opportunity to address a host of social and economic challenges at the root level, including by providing grants to mitigate housing instability and limit costly evictions. The National League of Cities commends Senators Bennet and Portman for introducing this bill; and for their ongoing bipartisan leadership, which is so sorely needed today.” – Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities   

“The National Education Association applauds Senators Bennet and Portman for their reintroduction of the Eviction Crisis Act. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how essential housing is – especially for our students. This bill assists families facing desperate circumstances and will provide students with stable homes as we look to rebuild our communities.” – Marc Egan, Director of Government Relations, National Education Association

“Eviction from one’s home is a horrible trauma from the decimation of a family’s shelter to the destruction of its financial security. The NAACP salutes and supports the efforts of Senators Bennet and Portman to thoughtfully and effectively address this serious, and sadly continuing, problem. The provisions of this legislation which create an Emergency Assistance Fund to help extremely low income American families facing eviction is an incredibly important tool in our arsenal to fight the scourge of homelessness. The Emergency Assistance Fund, as envisioned by this legislation, is perhaps one of the best examples of a ‘safety net’ that I can think of that the government can, and should, pursue for all Americans during the hardest economic times in their lives.” – Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, households around the nation have experienced unprecedented threats to not only their health, but also to their food, housing, and economic security–with harms disproportionately affecting Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other communities of color. The Emergency Assistance Fund is a smart investment in our nation’s families. The Fund will not only keep a family housed, but also increase a family’s food security by stabilizing the situation and avoiding the multiple harms to nutrition, health, and well-being emanating from an eviction and hunger.” – Luis Guardia, President of the Food Research & Action Center

“The Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) enthusiastically endorses the Eviction Crisis Act and the creation of the Emergency Assistance Fund designed to prevent unnecessary evictions. Evictions in many Ohio cities are hitting record levels as housing costs are growing increasingly out of reach, especially for those with the lowest incomes. We all now understand that evictions are not only the result of – but also a cause of – deeper poverty leading to increasing homelessness. Once we’re out of pandemic crisis mode, this legislation will have a lasting impact on the everyday crises facing the lowest income Americans. We appreciate the leadership of Ohio’s own Sen. Rob Portman working together to tackle this stubborn problem.” –  Bill Faith, Executive Director of Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio and state partner of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign

“We appreciate Senator Bennet’s advocacy on behalf of low-income renters who face substantial challenges in obtaining equitable treatment by some landlords and courts. The best way to prevent homelessness and the enormous stress it puts on our emergency response systems is to keep people safely housed.  This bill demonstrates that Senator Bennet knows we need investments across the housing spectrum in order to resolve the nation’s homelessness crisis.” – John Parvensky, President and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and state partner of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign

“Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Todd Young (R-IN) deserve recognition for their efforts to mitigate the devastating impacts of evictions on America’s families. The Eviction Crisis Act would provide states with impactful new resources to support households on the brink of eviction while improving data and analysis on evictions nationwide. For too many households, the loss of a job or major medical expenses make affording rent impossible, leading to homelessness or housing instability, and triggering a cycle of poverty that is difficult, if not impossible, to escape. The Eviction Crisis Act is a necessary investment to more stably house America’s families and enhance economic opportunity.” – Michele Stockwell, Executive Director, BPC Action

“Eviction isn’t just a consequence of poverty; it’s a cause of poverty. Yet we allow millions of Americans to face the threat of eviction each year. Families with children are at particularly high risk of eviction. Many evicted families lose their home and possessions, often falling into homelessness. Research shows that eviction thwarts economic mobility and is linked to long-term negative health outcomes. Passing the Eviction Crisis Act would be a big step forward, deepening our understanding of the problem and preventing families from the devastating consequences of displacement. Everyone needs a safe and affordable home. I commend Senators Bennet and Portman for their efforts and look forward to working with them to pass this bill into law,” – Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

“I applaud Senators Michael Bennet and Rob Portman for their leadership in introducing legislation to create new tools to help end America’s ongoing eviction epidemic, which most severely impacts the lowest-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals. If enacted, the “Eviction Crisis Act” would create a new Emergency Housing Assistance Fund – a policy solution developed and advanced by NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home campaign – to extend an emergency cushion to families in crisis. Together [with the legislation’s new data collection and outreach initiatives], the bill would help low-income renters avert the downward spiral of housing instability and homelessness. I urge Congress to quickly pass this bill.” – Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition

“Improving housing stability is not just about keeping people in their homes, but it’s also about providing them with the foundation they need for success in many other areas of life. Stable, affordable homes are linked with better educational outcomes, better health outcomes across the lifespan, greater food security, upward economic mobility, and reduced costs to the taxpayer.” – Mike Koprowski, National Director of the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign

“The Emergency Assistance Fund will not only keep families stable in their homes, but will also promote health. For many of my patient’s families, a housing crisis that threatens their health and well-being is one missed paycheck or one unexpected expense away. This bill is an innovative solution for ensuring that families are protected from economic shocks and the children and their families are able to remain healthy in their homes.” – Dr. Megan Sandel, Co-Lead Principal Investigator for Children’s HealthWatch and pediatrician at Boston Medical Center

“Every day, people become homeless who not long ago had a stable home, but whose lives and housing were disrupted by an economic crisis that a small amount of money could have fixed. Thanks to Senators Bennet and Portman for this legislation that would make such help available, preventing housing instability and homelessness and improving the lives of struggling Americans.” – Nan Roman, President and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness

“The Eviction Crisis Act will play a critical role in supporting rent-burdened tenants struggling to pay their bills. We applaud Senator Bennet’s continued efforts to pass this important legislation. It has the potential to help our clients, many of whom are on the brink of eviction, stay in their homes,” – Zach Neumann, Co-Founder & Executive Director, COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project.

“The COVID pandemic has lifted the veil on many inequities across our country that have existed long before 2020.  The pandemic emergency rental assistance program has proven just how powerful funding can be to help stabilize community members in crisis.  Full Circle of Lake County strongly supports the Eviction Crisis Act because it prioritizes equitable funding and support to our most vulnerable neighbors during challenging circumstances,” – Stephanie Cole, Executive Director, Full Circle of Lake County.

“On behalf of the members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the nation’s largest professional social work organization, I want to offer my full support for the passage of the Eviction Crisis Act. I also thank Senators Bennet and Portman for joining in a bipartisan collaboration to address one of the country’s most important social problems.  Social workers, as direct providers of services to indigent and low-income families, are all too aware of how financial distress can create a housing crisis which often leads to homelessness. The Emergency Assistance Fund will help state and local governments to develop innovative programs that will lead to housing stability for low-income families.  You can be assured that NASW will join with other Opportunities Start at Home partners to help get this bill passed.”– Dr. Angelo McClain, CEO of the National Association of Social Workers

“America’s cities, towns, and villages are on the front lines of the affordable housing crisis, and local leaders are eager to support bold solutions like the Eviction Crisis Act of 2019. This legislation would give local governments an opportunity to address a host of social and economic challenges at the root level, including by providing grants to mitigate housing instability and limit costly evictions. The National League of Cities commends Senators Bennet and Portman for introducing this bill; and for their ongoing bipartisan leadership, which is so sorely needed today.” – Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities   

“The National Education Association applauds Senators Bennet and Portman for their reintroduction of the Eviction Crisis Act. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how essential housing is – especially for our students. This bill assists families facing desperate circumstances and will provide students with stable homes as we look to rebuild our communities,” – Marc Egan, Director of Government Relations, National Education Association.

“Eviction from one’s home is a horrible trauma from the decimation of a family’s shelter to the destruction of its financial security. The NAACP salutes and supports the efforts of Senators Bennet and Portman to thoughtfully and effectively address this serious, and sadly continuing, problem. The provisions of this legislation which create an Emergency Assistance Fund to help extremely low income American families facing eviction is an incredibly important tool in our arsenal to fight the scourge of homelessness. The Emergency Assistance Fund, as envisioned by this legislation, is perhaps one of the best examples of a ‘safety net’ that I can think of that the government can, and should, pursue for all Americans during the hardest economic times in their lives.” – Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, households around the nation have experienced unprecedented threats to not only their health, but also to their food, housing, and economic security–with harms disproportionately affecting Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other communities of color. The Emergency Assistance Fund is a smart investment in our nation’s families. The Fund will not only keep a family housed, but also increase a family’s food security by stabilizing the situation and avoiding the multiple harms to nutrition, health, and well-being emanating from an eviction and hunger,” – Luis Guardia, President of the Food Research & Action Center.

“The Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) enthusiastically endorses the Eviction Crisis Act and the creation of the Emergency Assistance Fund designed to prevent unnecessary evictions. Evictions in many Ohio cities are hitting record levels as housing costs are growing increasingly out of reach, especially for those with the lowest incomes. We all now understand that evictions are not only the result of – but also a cause of – deeper poverty leading to increasing homelessness. Once we’re out of pandemic crisis mode, this legislation will have a lasting impact on the everyday crises facing the lowest income Americans. We appreciate the leadership of Ohio’s own Sen. Rob Portman working together to tackle this stubborn problem.” –  Bill Faith, Executive Director of Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio and state partner of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign

“We appreciate Senator Bennet’s advocacy on behalf of low-income renters who face substantial challenges in obtaining equitable treatment by some landlords and courts. The best way to prevent homelessness and the enormous stress it puts on our emergency response systems is to keep people safely housed.  This bill demonstrates that Senator Bennet knows we need investments across the housing spectrum in order to resolve the nation’s homelessness crisis,” – John Parvensky, President and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and state partner of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign.

“Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Todd Young (R-IN) deserve recognition for their efforts to mitigate the devastating impacts of evictions on America’s families. The Eviction Crisis Act would provide states with impactful new resources to support households on the brink of eviction while improving data and analysis on evictions nationwide. For too many households, the loss of a job or major medical expenses make affording rent impossible, leading to homelessness or housing instability, and triggering a cycle of poverty that is difficult, if not impossible, to escape. The Eviction Crisis Act is a necessary investment to more stably house America’s families and enhance economic opportunity,” –  Michele Stockwell, Executive Director, BPC Action