# The Eviction Prevention Act of 2021: What You Need to Know

This bill is designed to help low-income tenants fight eviction by giving them access to lawyers. Right now, when landlords take tenants to court over unpaid rent or lease violations, many tenants show up without legal representation while landlords often have attorneys. This creates an uneven playing field. The bill addresses this by providing federal funding to states and local communities to hire lawyers specifically to represent tenants who can't afford them in eviction cases.

The main part of the bill sets aside $125 million per year (from 2022 through 2026) for states and cities to use in hiring attorneys dedicated to helping low-income tenants. To qualify for this money, areas need to show they have a serious eviction problem and explain how they'll use the funding to increase access to lawyers. The bill defines "eligible individuals" as people earning less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level—roughly $17,000 for a single person or $35,000 for a family of four. The minimum grant any area can receive is $1 million, with larger amounts going to places with higher eviction rates and more unrepresented tenants.

Beyond legal representation, the bill creates a national database to track eviction data. This database would collect detailed information about every court-ordered eviction, including who got evicted, why, whether they had a lawyer, what they owed, and the final outcome. It would also track illegal evictions—when landlords use self-help methods like changing locks or shutting off utilities instead of going through the courts. This information would be made public in annual reports so researchers, policymakers, and the public can understand the scope of the eviction crisis and whether the legal system is working fairly.

The bill also requires a government study on how evictions work in America, specifically looking at whether having a lawyer actually changes outcomes for tenants and whether providing legal representation could save money overall. The practical impact is straightforward: tenants who can't afford lawyers would get one for free in eviction court, giving them a real chance to defend themselves, negotiate payment plans, or challenge illegal evictions.

Eviction Prevention Act of 2021

DeLauro, Rosa L.

Eviction Prevention Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to provide grants to state and local governments to make legal counsel available to eligible tenants undergoing eviction proceedings. An eligible tenant is an individual whose income is less than 125% of the federal poverty level. The bill also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a national database of evictions. The Government Accountability Office must report on the national status of legal representation of tenants in eviction proceedings, including the effects of access to representation on case outcomes.