COLUMBIA, S.C. — Landlords in South Carolina have filed a staggering 400,000 evictions between March 2020 and February 2024.
That’s according to newly released data from the Civil Court Data Initiative, a government website collecting nationwide eviction data.
"We have an eviction crisis in South Carolina,” said Jace Woodrum from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “Rents are going up but wages are not increasing and so folks are struggling to make ends meet.”
The ACLU and the NAACP took legal action in 2022, suing the state to collect newly published court records. This initiative led to the creation of the first major database, allowing for the updating of eviction numbers in weeks rather than years.
"We need more recent data to understand the crisis that we have right now," Woodrum said.
According to court records, Richland County reported 50,000 filings since March 2020, with Sumter at 11,000, Lexington at 19,000, and Orangeburg at 8,000.
“We know that there is more work to be done,” said Glynnis Hagens from the State NAACP.
Hagens added the ongoing work needed to address the crisis, includes the passage of two new state laws.
One proposed law aims to increase the state's $40 eviction filing fee, which Woodrum said is among the lowest in the country.
“We want to increase the eviction filing fee so that landlords don't file evictions in mass at the beginning of every month. And by doing that, we can also help pay for providing a lawyer to everyone who faces an eviction,” said Woodrum.
The other would keep a person's eviction record sealed.
“We’ve gotta break that cycle and get renters to have the legal representation that they need and to be able to seal their records so that one eviction doesn't become a barrier to housing forever,” said Woodrum.
Neither bill has received a hearing this legislative session.
“If people’s lives are always in flux, it's impacting their ability to find security and stability that their families need,” said Hagens.