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The National Housing Law Project has put together the following resources for attorneys, advocates, policymakers, and others for assistance during the COVID-19 national public health crisis.  We will continue to update this with NHLP resources and other resources as they become available. Please email us with any additional resources to post. CDC Eviction Moratorium | Amicus Briefs Defending Moratoria | Evictions Survey | Federal Eviction Moratorium – The CARES Act | Federal Eviction Moratorium – The CARES Act | State and Local Eviction Moratoria | COVID-19 Litigation Resources | Tool for Tenants Advocates | Homeowner Protection and Resources | Policy Advocacy and Analysis | Federal Government Resources... Read More »

Presidential Transition 2020 Our nation is in the midst of a long overdue national conversation about housing. The economic devastation of COVID-19 and a reckoning on police brutality have and further exposed a system rife with race, gender, and other discrimination. We are advocating that the Biden-Harris presidential transition team act on what housing advocates have been saying for years: our federal housing system is broken, and it’s time for a renewed commitment to just and effective housing policy that serves tenants and improves outcomes for low-income households and communities of color. With the National Housing Law Project more than 50 years’ experience fighting for housing justice and strengthening federal law and programs, and informed by the strong network of... Read More »

Michelle Wilde Anderson is a scholar of state and local government law. Her work combines legal analysis, empirical research, and humanistic reporting to understand concentrated poverty and municipal fiscal distress. Her recent publications explore restructuring (such as bankruptcy, disincorporation, and receiverships) in cities and counties facing chronic poverty related to deindustrialization. These issues affect not only Rust Belt capitals such as Detroit, but also post-industrial cities in California, rural counties in the West and South, and small towns across the country. She is currently writing a book about what we need most from local governments in America’s high-poverty, post-industrial areas. Prior to joining Stanford Law School in 2014, Anderson was an assistant professor of law at the University of California Berkeley... Read More »

NHLP hosted an informational session and discussion about HUD’s new Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration. HUD recently published its NOFA for the demonstration, which includes program requirements and guidance for PHAs that are applying to participate. We began with an overview of the Mobility Demonstration. We then heard from local advocates in Atlanta and Cleveland about how they are working with their PHAs to apply and ultimately implement voucher mobility programs. Moderator: Bridgett Simmons, National Housing Law Project Presenters: Phil Tegeler, PRRAC Lindsey Siegel, Atlanta Legal Aid Wingo Smith, Southern Poverty Law Center Michael Lepley, Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research Recording: https://zoom.us/rec/share/qGJ6DOQrRPQB0d28hwSpmEd3TnPihFiCVtZDfjHhd9HX1N3EpqLsSFVZuComByjH.LlNTC1XWHiovk1sY Passcode: V1I30g*T... Read More »

This Compendium compiles state and local laws that affect domestic violence survivors’ housing rights. It is designed to serve as a starting point for advocates seeking to conduct research on the housing protections that their state and local laws offer for domestic violence survivors. Examples of such protections include early lease termination provisions for domestic violence survivors, lock change laws, and affirmative defenses for evictions related to acts of domestic violence committed against a tenant. The updated compendium includes laws enacted as of December 2017. If you have questions or comments, please contact Renee Williams at rwilliams@nhlp.org Download the updated compendium. Update (September 2020): Please note that there have been more recent updates since December 2017 that NHLP... Read More »

Survivors of domestic and sexual violence face a number of serious housing problems related to the acts of violence committed against them. In reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Congress recognized that families are being discriminated against, denied access to, and even evicted from housing because of their status as survivors. Legal services providers have reported hundreds of cases where tenants were evicted because of acts of domestic and sexual violence committed against them. Focusing on defending survivors’ rights to maintain rental housing is particularly crucial because women living in rental housing experience domestic violence at three times the rate of women who own their homes. Further, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among survivors... Read More »

August 10, 2020 For Immediate Release Deidre Swesnik, Director of Communications, 202-919-9106 Statement by Deborah Thrope, Deputy Director, National Housing Law Project Washington, D.C.– On August 8, 2020, President Trump issued an “Executive Order on Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 by Providing Assistance to Renters and Homeowners.” Unfortunately, despite the title, the Executive Order does nothing to help renters and homeowners during this economic and public health crisis. It is important for the public to understand that the order does not expand protections previously enacted by the CARES Act, bar evictions moving forward, or provide emergency rental assistance funding. Landlords, courts, public housing authorities, and other entities can still seek to evict tenants. “Trump’s executive order does... Read More »

On July 23, 2020, the National Housing Law Project hosted the webinar “End of the CARES Act Moratorium: mini-moratoriums, 30 day notice and eviction legal strategy in the pandemic.”  Below are the webinar materials.   Description:The 120-day CARES Act eviction moratorium expires on Saturday, July 25. At the expiration of the moratorium, landlords covered by the moratorium may begin serving eviction notices, and may begin filing eviction lawsuits as soon as 30 days thereafter. This webinar covers the 30-day notice requirement, strategies to prevent evictions during the pandemic, and the continuing eviction moratorium for multifamily properties receiving a forbearance under the CARES Act or under related agency directives. NHLP also provides an update on the status of additional legislation... Read More »

Thank you to everyone who joined us this past Tuesday. The second half of the Subsidized Housing Basics training will be on Tuesday, June 9. You will not need to register to attend the second session. The second session will be recorded and shared after the live broadcast. Subsidized Housing Basics Tuesday, June 9 2 to 4 pm (EDT)/11 am to 1 PM (PDT) Tuesday’s training will provide a substantive overview of the project-based rental assistance programs and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. In light of the current public health crisis, we will also review the federal government’s housing response to COVID-19. Read More »

NHLP publishes a newsletter on a variety of current housing issues that affect survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Issue One 2020 Newsletter  This newsletter features an article outlining the tenant rights of survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article discusses eviction moratoriums, housing protections for survivors (including the Violence Against Women Act), asserting VAWA housing protections during the pandemic, and addressing lost income during the pandemic. This issue also includes a practice tip about the continued applicability of VAWA housing protections, and a list of additional COVID-19 resources. Issue Two and Three 2019 Newsletter This issue includes an article that reviews the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act in Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties, highlights... Read More »