Representatives Introduce Bill to Prohibit Reporting of COVID-19 Evictions on Tenant Credit Reports

Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) led 11 of his House colleagues in introducing on March 3 the “COVID-19 Eviction Consumer Report Fairness Act” (H.R. 1594). If enacted, the bill would require credit reporting agencies to exclude from consumer reports evictions and any information related to evictions or proceedings seeking evictions occurring from March 13, 2020 to 120 days after the end of the national emergency.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented financial hardship to millions of renters, many of whom were struggling to make ends meet before the pandemic, and despite the national eviction moratorium many renters are still being evicted from their homes. An eviction record can make it exceedingly more difficult for renters to find safe, stable housing in the future. In a press release about the bill, NLIHC’s President and CEO Diane Yentel stated, “eviction records make it difficult for renters to find stable housing, pushing families deeper into poverty. Congressman Stanton’s ‘COVID Eviction Consumer Report Fairness Act’ would ensure that eviction records do not follow renters into the future, an essential part of any comprehensive plan to address long-term housing stability.”

Learn more about the bill at: https://tinyurl.com/59n2frxs

Read Representative Stanton’s press release on the bill at: https://tinyurl.com/ah4x7ded