Fact Sheet

Each year millions of families in the U.S. are evicted from their homes and families with children are more likely to be evicted than tenants without children. Children who experience eviction often fact high rates of mobility and unstable living environments that result in negative consequences for their education, physical health, mental health and interpersonal relationships.

Civil legal services and eviction prevention programs help to keep children and families in their home and protect them from the negative effects that occur once a family is evicted. Yet most low-income families lack access to these services. Limited resources are due in part to limited federal funding for the overwhelming need for civil legal services, gaps between legal systems and social service agencies, and lack of awareness for the need for legal services.

The Equal Opportunity for Residential Representation Act of 2017 (H.R. 1146), introduced by Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN-5th) would start to address the need for civil legal services by creating a pilot program to provide grants to organizations that provide civil legal services to families facing eviction, landlord/tenant disputes, fair housing discrimination, or other housing-related issues.