Too many families, including myself was hit hard by COVID-19 — losing jobs, housing, loved ones, and vital resources through no fault of our own. I was evicted just before federal protections were announced, and those records still haunt me today. Even after balances are paid, we're denied housing before we can provide proof of resolution.

The damage isn’t just financial — it’s emotional, humiliating, and unjust. Families are being forced to pay excessive security deposits or remain in unstable living conditions because of a crisis beyond their control.

During the pandemic, countless Texans faced unimaginable hardship. Alongside the grief of losing loved ones, many also lost their primary source of income and access to basic support systems. Job loss, reduced hours, and medical expenses pushed families into eviction — often without warning. While eviction moratoriums were later enacted, they came too late for those who had already been displaced.

Now, a single eviction tied to a global emergency continues to block housing opportunities, regardless of a family’s current financial standing or efforts to recover.

It’s time for that to change. We’re calling for a “Right to Expungement” law in Texas — legislation that would allow individuals to petition for the removal of COVID-related evictions from their records once debts are paid and financial responsibility is demonstrated.

This bill would acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic and give families a fair chance to rebuild with dignity and stability.

Between March and May 2020, Texas implemented a 120-day statewide moratorium on eviction filings following the passage of the CARES Act on March 27, 2020. Later, from September 2020 to August 2021, the CDC issued a federal moratorium that provided another round of protection for renters across the country. Despite these temporary safeguards, eviction filings surged both before and after the moratoria, leaving many families vulnerable and displaced.

By early 2022, eviction activity in major Texas cities had reached its highest point since the onset of the pandemic. In just the first quarter of 2022, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin together recorded over 37,000 eviction filings. That year alone, Texas reported over 270,000 eviction cases statewide, with Harris County topping the list as one of the hardest-hit regions. In 2022, landlords filed approximately 17,900 eviction cases in Bexar County—more than double the 8,400 filings in 2020 during the pandemic’s peak moratoriums.

These trends highlight why a "Right to Expungement" is urgently needed in Texas. First, the exposure rate remains alarmingly high—filings didn’t simply persist, they skyrocketed once protections were lifted.

Second, the long-term consequences are severe: eviction filings stay on public records for up to seven years for most States, except Texas, even after tenants have paid their debts or resolved their situations—effectively blocking access to stable housing.

Third, this issue isn’t just financial; many families affected by eviction during the pandemic were also coping with job loss, major health issues, and the loss of loved ones.

Finally, this presents a critical moment for Texas leadership: with eviction filings now exceeding pre-COVID levels, the state has a unique opportunity to enact legislation that would allow families to petition for the removal of COVID-era eviction records and reclaim stability.

Texas must lead the way. We urge lawmakers to support the Right to Expungement — and help erase the lasting scars of the pandemic from the lives of those who endured it.

Sign the petition. Stand with Texas families. Let’s make this right.