The COVID-19 pandemic has left many Americans facing severe financial distress and a looming surge in eviction lawsuits due to unpaid rent. Over the past year, 43 states and the CDC temporarily halted evictions by issuing moratoria that prohibited the filing or the enforcement of eviction lawsuits. Currently, however, most state-level moratoria have lapsed, and the federal CDC moratorium is slated to expire on June 30th.   

So what happens next? The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Eviction Lab invite you to participate in an interactive webinar about what state policymakers can do to establish both immediate and long-term solutions to manage the eviction lawsuits that experts warn will soon flood court dockets.   

During the webinar researchers Emily Benfer (Wake Forest University) and Peter Hepburn (Rutgers University-Newark) will present on how states can apply lessons learned from the moratoria to address the eviction crisis moving forward. The presentation will be followed by a panel of leaders from state and local governments across the country, who will share their experiences with adopting policy changes and provide practical tips and strategies for other state leaders exploring this issue.  Panelists will include:  

• Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General

• Anne-Louise Wirthlin, Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Collaboration at Tennessee Courts

• Julie Gonzales, Colorado State Senator

• Mark Dodds, Senior Manager at City of Philadelphia’s Division of Housing and Community Development

The panel will be followed by Q&A session with the researchers and state leaders. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared with specific questions or suggestions they have about eviction policy solutions in their jurisdictions.