The House of Representatives passed the “Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) of 2019” (H.R. 1585) by a vote of 263-158 on March 4. The bill builds upon the housing protections that were expanded when VAWA was last reauthorized in 2013. The bill protects survivors from evictions based on criminal actions of perpetrators, enhances the emergency-transfer process, and addresses the need for consistent implementation, compliance and accountability regarding VAWA’s housing protections. The bill also makes clear that crime victims have the right to seek law enforcement or emergency assistance on behalf of themselves or others and must not be penalized for doing so by being evicted. Instead of punishing survivors and their landlords, states and localities are permitted to use existing federal grant programs to identify more effective means of combating crime.
NLIHC joined a coalition of organizations in submitting written testimony for a hearing on the reauthorization of VAWA that was held by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. The testimony explains the history of the inclusion of VAWA’s housing protections and illustrates the need for specific housing priorities in H.R. 1585 through the stories of survivors. This bill is now headed to the Senate.