Eviction Lab, a database at Princeton University that provides emergency information about housing in the coronavirus crisis, has a notable addition to our earlier post about the poor treatment of renters in Arkansas.
In its evaluation of the state, Arkansas scored ZERO on a five-point scale for how it treats its roughly 1 million residents of rental housing.
Among the observations:
Arkansas has not implemented statewide orders that would prevent evictions during and immediately following the pandemic. Without action and supportive measures, Arkansas could see a surge of evictions during and immediately following the pandemic.
In the state rankings, Arkansas is one of five states with a zero, along with South Dakota, Missouri, Wyoming and Colorado.
The post lists item after item that might help tenants elsewhere but which aren’t available in Arkansas. One small saving grace: The Arkansas PSC has issued orders to prevent utility cutoffs for non-payment and to allow free re-connection.
Landlords can do as they please: Raise rent, assess late fees. As we’ve noted before, the habitability of a house or apartment is not required by Arkansas law. Don’t like it, you can leave. Fair, right?
The Lab website also includes links to resources and tips.