Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today re-introduced the Emergency Eviction Enforcement Act to protect vulnerable tenants from evictions during a national emergency or public health crisis.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
“Our efforts in the American Rescue Plan Act this weekend and in the CARES Act last year have been aimed at preventing evictions during the ongoing pandemic. It is clear that ongoing protections against unwarranted evictions remain critical as we transition into a more stable but still fraught economic environment for many families. Congress needs to send a clear signal that during national emergencies, no one can be removed from his or her home without full judicial review. Landlords cannot take things into their own hands.”
The Emergency Eviction Enforcement Act of 2021 would prevent landlords from effecting evictions by creating a private right of action in federal court against landlords for housing tenants who were evicted without a duly issued court order during a national emergency or public health emergency. To deter this conduct, successful plaintiffs would be entitled to three times rent and attorneys’ fees.
Original source can be found here.
