Bush, García Urge Greystar Real Estate and the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) to Protect Tenants
Washington, D.C. (February 9, 2023) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), and over a dozen lawmakers sent two letters to Greystar, the largest apartment management company in the country, and Professional Background Screening Association, a trade union representing many tenant screening companies, asking for information to ensure they are complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulations during tenant screenings. In November, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued two shocking reports that found tenant background checks are often filled with false information or information restricted by the FCRA. These erroneous reports bar tenants from accessing safe and stable housing and lead to financial strain from hundreds of dollars in lost application fees.
“In St. Louis, frustrated tenants recall being charged exorbitant application fees—upwards of $300 per rental unit—to process background checks,” said the lawmakers. “The financial barrier, combined with an impersonal algorithm collecting unverified information to produce these tenant screening reports, severely limits the ability of prospective tenants to access affordable housing. Residents in Chicago experience similar issues–with mistaken identities robbing applicants of a fair chance to compete for rental units.”
“It’s critical for applicants to be able to know why they were denied housing, especially if it was due to incorrect or illegally used information,” said National Consumers League, Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “The responses to these letters will help bring greater clarity to the decision-making used in this industry.”
A copy of the letter to Greystar can be found HERE
A copy of the letter to PBSA can be found HERE
Additional co-signers to this letter include Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MI-5), Congressman Danny Davis (IL-7), Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-3), Yvette Clarke (NY-9), Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-47), Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-12), Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-2), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7), and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-17)
During her tenure in Congress, Congresswoman Bush has been a fierce advocate for affordable housing and the unhoused community. In her first term, Congresswoman Cori Bush introduced the Unhoused Bill of Rights—a framework for the federal government to permanently end the unhoused crisis by 2025 and provide wraparound services for unhoused community members. Additionally, the Congresswoman introduced the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Improvement Act to bolster renters’ access to financial assistance during the pandemic. Congresswoman Bush led several of her fellow members of Congress in a 5-day demonstration on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to extend the eviction moratorium in August 2021.
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Congresswoman Cori Bush sits on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, serves as Ranking Member of the Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, and proudly represents St. Louis as a politivist in the halls of the United States Congress.