Recent census data show that close to 20 million renters in the United States spend at least 30 percent of their household income on housing and utilities. High rents and low wages are just two factors that contribute to the eviction crisis. Estimates suggest that landlords file 3.7 million eviction cases each year across the country. Eviction has been associated with poor public health outcomes, and disproportionately affects people of color, women, and children. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the housing crisis and the inequities it perpetuates.
Because eviction regulations vary widely across the United States, and even within a single state or territory, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the impact these policies have on eviction rates and their related public health outcomes. This cross-sectional dataset provides a comprehensive overview of eviction laws and regulations that were in effect as of January 1, 2021, and covers all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and eight U.S. territories. This map displays key features of laws related to the eviction process, including the reasons the law dictates for why a landlord may evict a tenant, notice requirements prior to eviction, the judicial process of eviction, and regulations controlling the physical execution of eviction.
This dataset was created in collaboration with the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to fund civil legal aid for low-income Americans. The data is part of The Effect of State & Local Laws on Evictions Study, a congressionally funded study by LSC that analyzes the unmet legal needs involving eviction. For more information about LSC’s study, please visit https://lsc.gov/initiatives/effect-state-local-laws-evictions. If you have any questions regarding the information provided here, please contact LawAtlas@temple.edu.
Note: The laws and procedures captured in this dataset were in effect as of January 1, 2021; laws implemented after this date will not be captured here. To see laws enacting a right to counsel for tenants since January 1, 2021, visit http://civilrighttocounsel.org/map.
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