It's a really impressive piece of legislation. Desmond definitely made this happen and it's a great example of how academia (sociology, in particular) can directly shape policy development. Along with different municipalities adopting rent stabilization ordinances (e.g., rent increase cap, anti-discrimination/harassment ordinances, and just cause ordinances) and "right to counsel" programs, this strikes me as a game changer.
I am a bit skeptical on the extent to which the federal government is willing to support nationwide data collection, emergency rental assistance, and legal assistance/a civil right to counsel in eviction proceedings. I'm skeptical because data collection throughout the US is really inconsistent as is and landlords are going to push back really hard against the idea of funding counsel for indigent tenants, but not landlords. Never mind the fact that landlords go to court with attorneys approximately 90% of the time, compared to less than 10% of tenants...
That said, I've been working in this field for about a decade at this point and never thought I would see something like this at the federal level. Bravo and bipartisan to boot!
What do you think, tilt?