Emergency Rental Assistance and Eviction Prevention in DC

Peter Tatian submitted written testimony to the Council of the District of Columbia's Committee on Housing as part of a hearing on the Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Act of 2024. Tatian describes the importance of a properly funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) for preventing evictions in DC and stresses that the DC Council should assess the impact of recent legislative changes on tenants and landlords before making those changes permanent. He also highlights a recent Urban study that estimated the need for emergency rental assistance alongside shallow and deep housing subsidies to support renters with low incomes at all levels of need.