Bill Overview
Title: HELP Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a database of information regarding evictions from federally assisted dwellings, limits the inclusion of information relating to landlord-tenant actions in consumer reports, and otherwise provides eviction-related assistance and services. Specifically, the bill requires states and local entities receiving federal housing assistance to submit to HUD, for inclusion in the database, certain information regarding evictions from assisted dwelling units in the past year. Such information must include, among other things, the reason for eviction and whether the household was represented by legal counsel in the proceedings. Additionally, the bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from making a consumer report containing an eviction or item related to an eviction from a rental dwelling or any adverse information related to rent or utility arrears. Further, the bill authorizes additional Emergency Solutions Grants to provide legal counsel and pay court fees for tenants subject to or at risk of eviction. Finally, HUD must require owners of federally assisted rental units to (1) annually provide information to each tenant regarding the rights and responsibilities of the owner with respect to eviction and local organizations and resources that can provide assistance in eviction-related matters; and (2) upon provision of an eviction notice, information stating the reason for the eviction. HUD must also establish an eviction hotline to provide assistance to tenants of these units.
Sponsors: Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals living in federally assisted rental units
Estimated Size: 4800000
- The bill impacts individuals living in federally assisted rental units since these are the primary beneficiaries of the eviction-related assistance and services.
- Renters who are facing or have faced evictions will be directly affected, as the bill mandates the creation of an eviction information database.
- The bill also influences the actions of landlords of federally assisted rental properties, as they must comply with new information-sharing and tenant notification requirements.
- Legal professionals providing assistance in eviction cases are indirectly impacted as the bill authorizes funding for legal counsel and court fee payments.
- Individuals attempting to rent new homes might be affected by the limitations on consumer reports regarding past evictions.
Reasoning
- The primary target population for the HELP Act are individuals living in federally assisted rental units, especially those who have faced or are at risk of facing eviction, as they will benefit from legal assistance and reduced impact on their consumer reports regarding evictions.
- Landlords of these properties will need to comply with new reporting and notification requirements, altering their management practices.
- Legal professionals and local assistance organizations will see increased engagement due to fund allocation for legal counsel and tenant assistance.
- We incorporate interviews with a range of people, including those not directly suffering from eviction issues, to assess secondary impacts or even neutrality in experience.
- Our budget and target population imply that while some individuals may see a significant benefit, others, who are not evicted or involved in landlord-tenancy conflicts, may not experience any noticeable impact.
Simulated Interviews
Single Mother, Part-Time Retail Worker (Miami, FL)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I really hope this policy helps. It's tough being worried about getting evicted all the time.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Disabled, Receiving Social Security (Detroit, MI)
Age: 56 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- An eviction database and legal help can really take a load off my mind.
- It was hard for me to get this place with my eviction record.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Nurse (Houston, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy seems helpful, but I don't see how it affects me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retired Teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 68 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Receiving information about my rights annually is reassuring.
- I'm glad they're looking into evictions more closely.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Small Business Owner (New York, NY)
Age: 43 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The HELP Act sounds beneficial for those in need, but it doesn't affect my situation directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Graduate Student (Jackson, MS)
Age: 25 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 9.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The limits on consumer reports are a huge relief.
- My eviction made it hard to find housing before.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Software Developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More legal help for people facing evictions is great, but this policy doesn't impact my life directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Public School Teacher (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The eviction hotline sounds like a good backup plan.
- It should make dealing with landlords a bit fairer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Part-Time Barista (Boston, MA)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not in assisted housing now, but I've struggled with rent before. This policy could be a safety net if things get tough again.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Retired, Volunteer Work (Chicago, IL)
Age: 63 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm encouraged by the eviction focus, but direct benefits are limited for those not in federally assisted units.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $650000000)
Year 2: $460000000 (Low: $370000000, High: $620000000)
Year 3: $450000000 (Low: $360000000, High: $600000000)
Year 5: $430000000 (Low: $340000000, High: $570000000)
Year 10: $410000000 (Low: $320000000, High: $540000000)
Year 100: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $400000000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring the eviction database is secure and respects tenant privacy rights is critical.
- The effective use of additional Emergency Solutions Grants depends on successful coordination between federal, state, and local entities.
- Ensuring comprehensive coverage and up-to-date data for eviction statistics to improve policy effectiveness.
- The importance of legal representation access for tenants and its potential to reduce eviction rates.