What We Do
A First-of-its-Kind Federal Program Expanding Tenant Access to Eviction Legal Services
In 2021, HUD launched the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP), a first-of-its-kind federal program designed to expand the reach of legal services to low-income tenants at risk of, or subject to, eviction. Millions of families face eviction each year, whether through formal court processes or through extra-legal evictions. Evicted tenants, especially children, face significant long-term consequences. Yet, most tenants do not have access to legal assistance that may help them reach more mutually beneficial resolutions with landlords or defend against illegal evictions. The Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP) aims to help fill this gap.
Why It Matters
Demand for Tenant Legal Services Far Outpaces Available Local Resources
Demand for EPGP services far outpaces current funding levels, making it one of PD&R’s most sought after and oversubscribed grant competitions. From a pool of over 120 applicants to its inaugural Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), HUD funded 21 initial EPGP grantees in fiscal years (FY) 2021 and 2022 that provided no-cost legal assistance to prevent or divert eviction and mitigate the consequences of eviction across 19 states. As of September 30, 2024, grantees have provided legal assistance to over 44,000 households, representing a rapid scale-up to meet tenant needs.
The response to PD&R’s latest FY 2023/2024 NOFO competition set a new record, demonstrating the overwhelming demand for eviction legal services from state, local, and tribal governments and non-profits across the country. More than 230 applicants, a 91 percent increase from 2021, sought FY 2023/2024 EPGP funds. Applicants meeting the technical and scoring requirements for funding consideration requested more than $234 million in support for legal services, outstripping available EPGP appropriations by nearly sixfold.
Improving Tenant Outcomes and Building the Eviction Protection Evidence Base
EPGP is a vital resource for both tenant households facing eviction and the grant recipients that are able to expand access to legal services, form strategic partnerships, and conduct outreach. Through this program, PD&R has also expanded the evidence base around eviction prevention, diversion, and relief programming as local, state, and federal policymakers consider new ways to support tenants and landlords and build new eviction systems and processes.
Providing Legal Assistance to Those Who Need It Most
EPGP grantees have consistently demonstrated their ability to provide legal assistance to tenant households that reflect demographic characteristics similar to groups identified as experiencing a higher risk of eviction nationally.
Achieving Measurable Tenant-Stabilizing Benefits Through a Broad Spectrum of Legal Services
Overall, 92 percent of tenant households with tracked outcomes data saw a measurable benefit after receiving EPGP legal services. These stabilizing benefits were most pronounced among tenant households that received extensive representation, regardless of their eviction risk status.
- More than 80 percent of tenant households that received extensive representation involving legal advocacy or court proceedings experienced preserved tenancy, prevented eviction filings, or negotiated settlements. Fewer than 5 percent experienced eviction or displacement.
- Among tenant households that received other limited or brief legal services, 35.1 percent had their tenancy preserved, 7 percent prevented eviction filing, and 6 percent negotiated a settlement. Approximately 13 percent reported an eviction judgment or displacement.
- Other prevention or tenant protection benefits tenants achieved through EPGP include securing rental and non-housing assistance, waived back rent, sealed eviction records, additional days to move out, and delayed evictions.
- Grant recipients faced challenges when collecting outcome data for some tenant households due to the brief nature of some legal services and service delivery methods.
Together, EPGP grantees have successfully expanded access to eviction protection services in underserved communities, prevented evictions, negotiated agreements between tenant households and landlords, and helped prevent and mitigate the harmful effects of displacement and eviction.
FY 2023/2024 Awards
With $40 million available FY 2023 and 2024 funds, HUD awarded new grants to 21 non-profit and governmental recipients to provide legal services to tenants across 16 states. Ten of these recipients serve rural areas, including 9 statewide programs covering Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Eleven others serve single- or multi-county local or regional metropolitan geographies. Together, new recipients offer a full spectrum of legal services to low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction, including representation, advice, alternative dispute resolution, court navigation, education and outreach, as well as collaborative eviction prevention work.
Overview
In FY 2021, PD&R launched the Eviction Protection Grant Program to support families recovering from the public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first of its kind for the Department, the Eviction Protection Grant Program funds experienced legal service organizations providing legal assistance at no cost to low-income tenants at risk of, or subject to, eviction. With rising rents, record inflation, and economic uncertainty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, these services come at a critical time for families across the country and offer a unique demonstration opportunity for the Department and broader eviction diversion initiatives. PD&R announced inaugural awards to 10 legal service providers totaling $20 million in November 2021 and quickly expanded the program to an additional 11 grantees in May 2022 with another $20 million in FY 2022 funds. In January 2025, PD&R announced $40 million in FY 2023 and FY 2024 awards to 21 recipients serving tenants in 16 states.
Program Goals
The goal of EPGP is to increase housing stability for low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction by funding eviction prevention and protection work. Legal assistance provided through grantee projects may help achieve the following outcomes for low-income tenants:
- Help tenants avert eviction and prevent eviction filings.
- Help tenants exercise and enforce their housing and civil rights and ensure the legal process during eviction is fair.
- Increase tenant access to, and participation in, non-adversarial resolutions outside of the court system.
- Help tenants avoid the harmful consequences of eviction and gain access to stabilizing resources.
Program Services
and Beneficiaries
EPGP grantees provide a variety of legal services to low-income tenants facing eviction, including:
- education and outreach and "know your rights" campaigns
- legal information hotlines and legal advice
- housing court navigation
- legal representation (including in landlord negotiation/mediation)
- mass eviction response and prevention
- fair housing defense related to eviction
- service provider referrals and benefits assistance
- self-help technology like online form builders for responding to eviction notices
- collaboration with courts, judges, and others to create and promote eviction diversion programs
Beneficiaries served by the program must meet all three of the following criteria: (1) be a tenant, (2) be low-income, and (3) be at risk of or subject to eviction.
Grant Recipients
In January 2025, PD&R announced $40 million in FY 2023 and FY 2024 awards to 21 recipients serving tenants in 16 states. The program’s initial 21 grantees funded in FY 2021 and FY 2022 served tenants in 19 states, implementing a total of 11 statewide eviction protection programs as well as 12 local and regional programs:
|
Location |
Grantee |
Funded Partners |
Service Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino, CA | Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino | San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, CA | |
| Hartford, CT | Connecticut Fair Housing Center |
|
Connecticut Statewide |
| Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. |
|
Florida Statewide |
| Miami, FL | Legal Services of Greater Miami (LSC) |
|
Miami-Dade County, FL |
| Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation | Fulton County, GA | |
| Boise, ID | Idaho Legal Aid Services (LSC) | Idaho:
Montana:
Utah:
|
Idaho Statewide, Montana Statewide, and Utah Statewide |
| Lafayette, LA | Acadiana Legal Service Corporation (LSC) |
|
Louisiana Statewide |
| Worcester, MA | Community Legal Aid (LSC) |
|
Massachusetts Statewide |
| Portland, ME | Pine Tree Legal Assistance (LSC) | Maine Statewide | |
| St. Louis, MO | Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSC) |
|
Missouri Statewide |
| Edison, NJ | Legal Services of New Jersey |
|
New Jersey Statewide |
| Las Vegas, NV | Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada | Clark County, NV | |
| Albany, NY | Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LSC) | Cities of Albany and Amsterdam, NY | |
| Geneva, NY | Legal Assistance of Western New York (LSC) |
|
14 counties in Western New York:
|
| New York, NY | Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation |
|
Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, NY |
| White Plains, NY | Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSC) |
|
Dutchess County, NY |
| Toledo, OH | Advocates For Basic Legal Equality |
|
7 counties in Northwestern Ohio:
|
| Oklahoma City, OK | Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LSC) |
|
16 counties in Northeastern Oklahoma:
|
| Charleston, SC | One-Eighty Place |
|
4 counties covering Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina:
|
| Jackson, TN | West Tennessee Legal Services Incorporated (LSC) |
|
Tennessee Statewide |
| San Antonio, TX | San Antonio, TX |
|
Bexar County, TX |
NOFOs and Terms and Conditions
- FY 2023/2024 Terms and Conditions
- FY 2021 NOFO
- FY 2021 Terms and Conditions
- FY 2022 Terms and Conditions
Policy Guidance Memoranda
Training and Assistance
- Video: DRGR User Setup and Action Plan Training
for EPGP Grantees
- Slides: DRGR Admin & Action Plan
- Video: DRGR Voucher and Quarterly
Reporting Training for EPGP Grantees
- Slides: DRGR Vouchers and QPRs
- DRGR User Manual
- DRGR FAQs
- DRGR Demonstration Videos
- Video: Technical Assistance for EPGP Grantees
Information Collection Forms (FY 2023/2024)
HUD has proposed new information collection forms for the Eviction Protection Grant Program.