Programs give hope and a second chance to people facing evictions

By the Statehouse Reporting Project

Angela Fitzpatrick routinely sees people on street corners, holding signs asking for money. She knows some are scammers taking advantage of kind-hearted people who want to help.

But she believes many of them are just trying to get enough money to help pay for necessities like housing and food. She feels that way because she’s been there.

Fitzpatrick lived on the streets in Virginia for most of 2022 after she was evicted from the apartment where she had lived for six years. Her landlord raised the rent substantially, and it was more than Fitzpatrick could afford. She took on a second job babysitting to help make ends meet, but it still wasn’t enough. 

Within a few months, she was homeless. Fitzpatrick bounced around, staying with friends for a few weeks at a time, but eventually had nowhere to go. The shelters were full, so she mostly stayed on the streets. During that time, she continued to work and look for help. It finally came through a program that provided rental assistance for up to a year.

“Those people answered my prayers for a second chance,” said Fitzpatrick, 42, who now lives and works in Florida. “And I’m grateful every day.”

When she sees homeless people on the street, she stops to give them money to buy a meal, share a hug if they want one and tell them she’s proof that help is available. 

Eviction-related bills filed in more than half of the states

This year, lawmakers in 27 states filed more than 160 eviction-related bills. 

Some bills aim to protect tenants by requiring landlords to have “good cause” to evict someone and by limiting public access to eviction records and the length of time an eviction remains on someone’s record.

Others focus on landlords’ interests, including that they are not obligated to handle an evicted tenant’s personal property and that they may proceed more quickly with evictions involving criminal activity.

Several bills focus on the public accessibility of eviction records, how long evictions remain on tenants’ records and specific cases in which evictions are prohibited, such as in extreme weather circumstances.

While data on evictions is limited, rates in many major cities were down in 2025, according to The Eviction Lab, a research institute at Princeton University. But rates were up in other major cities, including Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and St. Louis, Missouri.

The institute’s website says the majority of poor families who rent spend more than half their income on housing costs. Experts say that’s not sustainable. Fitzpatrick knows that is true. Some months she had to choose between paying rent, paying utility bills or buying food. None of those are suitable options, she said.

‘Eviction is such a drastic consequence’

Ohio lawmakers are looking at several bills this session aimed at softening the effects of eviction and addressing the reasons people may face homelessness. 

Under Ohio law, if a tenant misses a rent payment, their landlord can order them to leave in three days. If they don’t, the landlord can file an eviction case. 

Marcus Roth[MY1] , director of communications and development at the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said the long-term effects of eviction are often the most damaging.

”Eviction is such a drastic consequence,” he said. “When you look at what happens to people after an eviction filing, it can follow them for years, even if they win their case.”

Senate Bill 204 would seal eviction records, making it easier for people to find housing, Roth said. The bill is in committee. The session is scheduled to end in June.

“As soon as that filing hits the court docket, private databases grab it,” he said. “Landlords use those background check systems, and there’s no context in there. It doesn’t say whether the tenant won or whether the case was dismissed. It just shows an eviction filing.”

House Bill 181 would provide access to legal counsel for people facing an eviction. Roth said low-income tenants often do not have access to an attorney; only 2% to 3% of tenants are represented. This disparity can affect the outcome of such legal procedures. The bill is in committee.

“When you have that kind of imbalance in a legal dispute, you don’t have as much justice,” Roth said. “We’re trying to advocate for a fairer process.”

Tenants in Kansas gain more protection this session

As the 2026 Kansas legislative session came to a close, there were wins for tenants.

Considering the state is in the midst of an extreme housing shortage and is ranked the third-fastest state in the country for eviction filings, the fact that Sub HB 2357 was signed by the governor is a win for tenants’ rights groups. The bill allows eviction records to be expunged from tenant screening reports in certain cases and possible mediation in some eviction actions.

“Because we have a housing shortage, occupancy of rental housing is extremely high. If a landlord wants to evict you for any reason … it is very easy for them to evict a current tenant and get a new one,” said Christina Ashie Guidry[MY2] , director of policy and planning for United Community Services of Johnson County.

The agency worked with Republicans and Democrats during the session to ensure tenants were treated fairly. Getting Sub HB 2357 signed into law was one of their priorities.  The 2026 housing report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition said for someone to afford a two-bedroom rental home, they must earn at least $20.87 an hour.

Guidry said one of the biggest problems for tenants is corporate landlords coming in and raising rent prices and deferring maintenance on their properties. She said corporate landlords evict tenants four times more than mom-and-pop landlords.

“It’s easy for landlords to evict people and know they can find someone else,” she said.

In Kansas, extremely low-income renters made up more than half of the severely cost-burdened tenants. Although Sub HB 2357 was one of the only bills for tenant rights to pass during this legislative session – many others died in committee – it is considered a win for Kansas tenants.

Indiana’s plans to tackle high eviction filing rate

Indiana has a 9% eviction filing rate, the third highest of the states being tracked by the Eviction Lab, behind Delaware and Virginia. Indianapolis ranks sixth among cities being tracked, with a 14% eviction filing rate.

Multiple issues factor into these rates, but chief among them are high utility rates and the lack of availability of low-income housing.

“We haven’t been producing enough new housing, and we haven’t been preserving and making available enough of the existing supply,” said Andrew Bradley,[MY3]  senior director of policy and strategy for Prosperity Indiana. “This is due to resources, this is due to policy choices, especially compared to neighboring states in the Midwest that have a higher rate of affordable housing for the lower-income populations.”

When renters receive an eviction notice, it goes on their record. When they apply for new rental housing, it can make it much harder to get accepted, leaving them with fewer options. 

Adding to the strain, Indiana’s average utility costs are 11% lower than the national average but have increased substantially in recent years. Citizens Action Coalition conducted a study that showed Indiana’s average monthly utility bills from 2024 to 2025 increased by 17.5%, about $28 more per month. 

Gov. Mike Braun said in his State of the State speech that utility costs are too high and that affordability is the “highest priority” of the state. 

During this year’s short legislative session, which ended April 29, the General Assembly passed HB 1002, authored by Rep. Alania Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville, which targets investor-owned electric utilities, such as Duke Energy, and how they set utility rates. 

The bill introduces “performance-based rate making,” with the goal of giving the state more power to hold utility companies accountable for the affordability and quality of energy. It was signed by the governor in February.

Other pieces of legislation that generally favored tenants didn’t receive committee hearings, including HB 1127, which would have delayed eviction for certain veterans, and SB 181, which would have required landlords to provide five days’ notice to tenants before filing an eviction. The notice would have included the amount owed, including late fees; acceptable forms of payment; and the date the landlord planned to file the eviction if the fees remained unpaid.

“First, we need a clearer picture of how widespread the eviction problem is in Indiana,” said Rep. Robin Shackleford[MY4] , who is a Democrat. “Second, we should study best practices from other states and cities that have taken steps to address eviction and tenant representation. Finally, the goal was to identify sustainable funding sources that could support a statewide program.”

But in an already short session — further shortened by a failed Republican push for mid-cycle redistricting — it proved difficult for some bills to get scheduled for a committee hearing.

“In my view, this simply was not treated as a priority by the Republican majority this session,” Shackleford said. “That is disappointing because housing stability is a real kitchen-table issue for many Hoosier families.” 

This story was produced through the Statehouse Reporting Project, a collaborative effort by collegiate journalism programs across the country. It was reported by Kayla Gleason from Kent State University, Zoe Naylor from the University of Missouri, Arien Roman-Rojas from KU Statehouse Wire Service and Luke Shepherd from Franklin College.