Results
Feature, News Story
(NATIONAL, Virginia, Wisconsin)
Weeks after pulling the eviction notice off her door, White was on the phone with an attorney from the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society. She recognized the voice. It belonged to Palmer Heenan. She had faced off against him in court proceedings he had brought against her property on behalf of residents. Now, she was ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment
Trying to enjoy the holidays with eviction looming in the new year
December 25, 2020 | Washington PostWeeks after pulling the eviction notice off her door, White was on the phone with an attorney from the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society. She recognized the voice. It belonged to Palmer Heenan. She had faced off against him in court proceedings he had brought against her property on behalf of residents. Now, she was ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment
News Story
(NATIONAL, Ohio)
“No one should ever have to experience the threat of being pushed out of their home,” [Shayla] Black said. “Especially in the middle of a pandemic.”
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | COVID-19 | Housing | Housing: Eviction
The federal eviction moratorium expires in January. It could leave 40 million Americans homeless.
December 24, 2020 | USA Today“No one should ever have to experience the threat of being pushed out of their home,” [Shayla] Black said. “Especially in the middle of a pandemic.”
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | COVID-19 | Housing | Housing: Eviction
Audio, News Story
(NATIONAL, Texas)
“I have nowhere to go. I meet all the criteria for protection,” she wrote. “I have three kids who will be homeless tomorrow morning if I can’t stop this. This is wrong.” Tiffany Robinson, who lost her job managing construction sites in Texas, found out that what’s often referred to as the “CDC eviction ban” is ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Why The CDC Eviction Ban Isn’t Really A Ban: ‘I Have Nowhere To Go’
December 20, 2020 | National Public Radio (NPR)“I have nowhere to go. I meet all the criteria for protection,” she wrote. “I have three kids who will be homeless tomorrow morning if I can’t stop this. This is wrong.” Tiffany Robinson, who lost her job managing construction sites in Texas, found out that what’s often referred to as the “CDC eviction ban” is ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Op-Ed
(NATIONAL)
Sarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, argues that both the federal legislative and executive branches need to advocate for the right to counsel for tenants, and programs that provide free help to low-income tenants facing eviction offered by cities such as New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Minneapolis should be ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Housing: Right to Counsel
Ensuring Safe, Stable Housing Should Be Top Priority For New Administration, Congress
December 18, 2020 | ForbesSarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, argues that both the federal legislative and executive branches need to advocate for the right to counsel for tenants, and programs that provide free help to low-income tenants facing eviction offered by cities such as New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Minneapolis should be ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Housing: Right to Counsel
Op-Ed
(NATIONAL)
Housing is undeniably a basic human need, and those who lose their homes often also lose employment, health, and child custody. Eviction is sometimes called a “scarlet E” because having one on your record can make finding safe and decent housing virtually impossible.Where there is a right, the government must provide funding for tenant counsel, ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
CDC ban on evictions expires Dec. 31; Congress must act to prevent 30 million evictions
December 10, 2020 | Hill, TheHousing is undeniably a basic human need, and those who lose their homes often also lose employment, health, and child custody. Eviction is sometimes called a “scarlet E” because having one on your record can make finding safe and decent housing virtually impossible.Where there is a right, the government must provide funding for tenant counsel, ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Television News
(NATIONAL, Nebraska)
The eviction moratorium is about to expire and that could leave millions of renters without a place to live on New Year’s Day. CNBC’s Diana Olick reports.
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | COVID-19 | Housing | Housing: Eviction
Millions of renters face eviction as moratorium expiration looms
December 10, 2020 | CNBCThe eviction moratorium is about to expire and that could leave millions of renters without a place to live on New Year’s Day. CNBC’s Diana Olick reports.
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | COVID-19 | Housing | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(NATIONAL, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio)
“Right now, we are seeing variations in the way courts are applying the CDC order, and we are also seeing a lack of knowledge among tenants and property owners,” said Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University and the chair of the American Bar Association’s COVID-19 task force committee on evictions. “Advocates are ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Despite federal ban, renters still being evicted amid virus
November 29, 2020 | Associated Press (AP)“Right now, we are seeing variations in the way courts are applying the CDC order, and we are also seeing a lack of knowledge among tenants and property owners,” said Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University and the chair of the American Bar Association’s COVID-19 task force committee on evictions. “Advocates are ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(NATIONAL, Nebraska, North Carolina)
The CDC’s ban works when tenants know it exists, but the affordable housing crisis isn’t going away; in fact, it’s probably going to get a lot worse. If you are at risk of being evicted, your first step should be to find a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, then look for your local Legal Aid ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Advocates worry about an eviction crisis as 2021 approaches without a stimulus deal
November 9, 2020 | CNBCThe CDC’s ban works when tenants know it exists, but the affordable housing crisis isn’t going away; in fact, it’s probably going to get a lot worse. If you are at risk of being evicted, your first step should be to find a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, then look for your local Legal Aid ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story, Television News
(Texas)
Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium on evictions that took effect September 6, many eviction cases are still moving through the courts. The state is providing $171 million of rental assistance in a new Texas Eviction Diversion Program to keep families in their homes. Plus a new legal aid online resource is ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
State providing $171 million in rental aid in new Texas Eviction Diversion Program
October 22, 2020 | Fox26 HoustonDespite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium on evictions that took effect September 6, many eviction cases are still moving through the courts. The state is providing $171 million of rental assistance in a new Texas Eviction Diversion Program to keep families in their homes. Plus a new legal aid online resource is ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story, Television News
(Ohio)
Abigail Staudt, managing attorney of the Housing Group for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, says many tenants that end up getting evicted do so because they don’t know their rights. In early September, the CDC issued a new order, effective through December 31, 2020, that provides protection from eviction to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Staudt says ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Eviction Crisis Continues To Hit Ohio Communities
September 25, 2020 | Spectrum News 1Abigail Staudt, managing attorney of the Housing Group for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, says many tenants that end up getting evicted do so because they don’t know their rights. In early September, the CDC issued a new order, effective through December 31, 2020, that provides protection from eviction to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Staudt says ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Op-Ed
(Maryland, NATIONAL)
The CDC reports that the Black and Indigenous population have infection rates five times and four times, respectively, higher than the white population. Eviction has always been a threat to public health. The cocktail of housing insecurity and high infection rates among minority communities may prove to be lethal.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Racial Justice
Why the CDC’s eviction moratorium isn’t enough to prevent evictions in Maryland | COMMENTARY
September 17, 2020 | Baltimore SunThe CDC reports that the Black and Indigenous population have infection rates five times and four times, respectively, higher than the white population. Eviction has always been a threat to public health. The cocktail of housing insecurity and high infection rates among minority communities may prove to be lethal.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Racial Justice
News Story
(Georgia, NATIONAL, North Carolina)
From state to state, and even judge to judge, a simple-sounding order by the C.D.C. on eviction cases is being widely interpreted by judges, leaving tenants in precarious situations. Legal aid attorneys and other housing advocates are struggling to help them.
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
How Does the Federal Eviction Moratorium Work? It Depends Where You Live
September 16, 2020 | New York Times (NYT)From state to state, and even judge to judge, a simple-sounding order by the C.D.C. on eviction cases is being widely interpreted by judges, leaving tenants in precarious situations. Legal aid attorneys and other housing advocates are struggling to help them.
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(NATIONAL)
The increase in evictions during the first week of September highlights key challenges to implementing the ban, according to John Pollock, coordinator for the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, an organization that seeks to establish a right to legal representation for defendants in housing court. One problem, he said, is the form tenants ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Eviction Filings by Big Landlords Surged After Trump Issued Ban
September 14, 2020 | BloombergThe increase in evictions during the first week of September highlights key challenges to implementing the ban, according to John Pollock, coordinator for the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, an organization that seeks to establish a right to legal representation for defendants in housing court. One problem, he said, is the form tenants ... Read more
Tags: CDC Eviction Moratorium | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(NATIONAL)
“Many landlords are going to try to race to the court to get a judgment and remove the tenant before the tenant even knows the declaration requirement exists or how to fulfill it,” said John Pollock, coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel.
Tags: CDC | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
The CDC banned evictions, but some renters are still vulnerable
September 10, 2020 | CNBC“Many landlords are going to try to race to the court to get a judgment and remove the tenant before the tenant even knows the declaration requirement exists or how to fulfill it,” said John Pollock, coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel.
Tags: CDC | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Op-Ed
(Massachusetts)
THE COVID-19 CRISIS has come at Massachusetts in waves: a public health emergency, an economic collapse, a widening of racial disparities, and now, an overwhelming need for legal help. In response, the Commonwealth must fully support the essential work of civil legal aid, which helps low-income people retain housing, stay safe from domestic abuse, appeal ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Domestic Violence | Housing: Eviction | Housing: Foreclosure | Hunger | Unemployment Insurance
A civil justice crisis is coming; Much greater funding for legal aid is needed
September 10, 2020 | CommonWealth – Nonprofit journal of politics, ideas and civic lifeTHE COVID-19 CRISIS has come at Massachusetts in waves: a public health emergency, an economic collapse, a widening of racial disparities, and now, an overwhelming need for legal help. In response, the Commonwealth must fully support the essential work of civil legal aid, which helps low-income people retain housing, stay safe from domestic abuse, appeal ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Domestic Violence | Housing: Eviction | Housing: Foreclosure | Hunger | Unemployment Insurance
News Story
(Virginia)
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges Hampton-based Senex Law violated federal debt collection laws and tacked on unreasonable attorney fees as they attempted to collect unpaid rent on behalf of landlords around the state. In a statement announcing the suit, the tenants’ lawyers accused the firm of holding a “starring role in the state’s mass evictions.”
Tags: Housing: Eviction
Tenants file for class action against one of Virginia’s most prolific eviction law firms
September 9, 2020 | Virginia MercuryThe lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges Hampton-based Senex Law violated federal debt collection laws and tacked on unreasonable attorney fees as they attempted to collect unpaid rent on behalf of landlords around the state. In a statement announcing the suit, the tenants’ lawyers accused the firm of holding a “starring role in the state’s mass evictions.”
Tags: Housing: Eviction
News Story, Newsletter
(Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin)
Renters have spent the last five months on shifting ground. Federal and state moratoriums have expired with only a few being renewed, and municipal and county courts are making their own rules and procedures for resuming eviction hearings. The resulting confusion makes it more necessary than ever for people facing eviction to have legal help. ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
How Legal Aid Lawyers Have Been Preparing for More Evictions
September 1, 2020 | NextCity.orgRenters have spent the last five months on shifting ground. Federal and state moratoriums have expired with only a few being renewed, and municipal and county courts are making their own rules and procedures for resuming eviction hearings. The resulting confusion makes it more necessary than ever for people facing eviction to have legal help. ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Virginia)
A $4 million initiative to expand legal help to Virginians facing eviction amid the coronavirus pandemic, will be used to hire and support 20 legal aid attorneys for the next two years. The Virginia Poverty Law Center estimates 230,000 evictions will be filed by the end of the year.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Virginia, Ikea give $4M to boost Legal Aid services for residents facing eviction
August 31, 2020 | Washington PostA $4 million initiative to expand legal help to Virginians facing eviction amid the coronavirus pandemic, will be used to hire and support 20 legal aid attorneys for the next two years. The Virginia Poverty Law Center estimates 230,000 evictions will be filed by the end of the year.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Iowa, Texas)
At the start of the pandemic, Congress passed an eviction ban that covered about a third of the country’s rental units. Yet a lack of enforcement led many landlords to ignore the law.
Tags: Housing: Eviction
“There’s no actual penalty for violating it.” – How the CARES Act failed to protect tenants from eviction
August 29, 2020 | CNBCAt the start of the pandemic, Congress passed an eviction ban that covered about a third of the country’s rental units. Yet a lack of enforcement led many landlords to ignore the law.
Tags: Housing: Eviction
News Story
(NATIONAL, Texas)
In the absence of any national ban on evictions during the pandemic, tenants struggling to pay their rent are at the mercy of a patchwork of narrow and temporary local protections, leading to confusion and unlawful evictions. Some landlords take advantage of the uncertainty to push tenants out of their homes, said Daphne McGee, a ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Can you be evicted during the pandemic? It depends on your ZIP code
August 25, 2020 | CNBCIn the absence of any national ban on evictions during the pandemic, tenants struggling to pay their rent are at the mercy of a patchwork of narrow and temporary local protections, leading to confusion and unlawful evictions. Some landlords take advantage of the uncertainty to push tenants out of their homes, said Daphne McGee, a ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Georgia, NATIONAL, Nebraska)
With a federal moratorium coming to an end, legal aid lawyers say they are preparing to defend renters in housing court. Having legal help means tenants stand a better chance of reaching agreements with landlords so they can stay in their homes — and avoid having an eviction on their record, which makes it harder to ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
As Evictions Loom, Lawyers Are Gearing Up to Help
August 24, 2020 | New York Times (NYT)With a federal moratorium coming to an end, legal aid lawyers say they are preparing to defend renters in housing court. Having legal help means tenants stand a better chance of reaching agreements with landlords so they can stay in their homes — and avoid having an eviction on their record, which makes it harder to ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Florida)
More than 800,000 renters in Florida are at risk of being evicted within weeks, a fallout framed by financial duress, the coronavirus crisis and little help from state and federal officials, according to lawyers and legal aid groups.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
With no moratorium in place for FL renters, ‘We expect a tsunami of evictions’
August 19, 2020 | Florida PhoenixMore than 800,000 renters in Florida are at risk of being evicted within weeks, a fallout framed by financial duress, the coronavirus crisis and little help from state and federal officials, according to lawyers and legal aid groups.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Iowa, NATIONAL)
A searing look at the challenges and hard choices faced by both tenants and landlords as the pandemic has ravaged the US economy, leaving millions at the mercy of a broken legal system.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
‘It’s a lose-lose battle.’ She’s been waiting four weeks for the sheriff to evict her
August 19, 2020 | CNN BusinessA searing look at the challenges and hard choices faced by both tenants and landlords as the pandemic has ravaged the US economy, leaving millions at the mercy of a broken legal system.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
News Story
(NATIONAL)
The ongoing pandemic has put new urgency behind a nascent movement pushing to give tenants facing eviction a right to counsel, advocates say.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
Virus Lights Fire Under Eviction Right To Counsel Movement
August 16, 2020 | Law360The ongoing pandemic has put new urgency behind a nascent movement pushing to give tenants facing eviction a right to counsel, advocates say.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Arkansas, Georgia, NATIONAL)
Civil legal aid attorneys and others are scrambling to head off a monumental wave of evictions nationwide, as the coronavirus crisis leaves tens of millions at risk of homelessness. Attorneys can work to ensure that an eviction stays off a tenant’s record, making it easier to find a new home, said John Pollock, coordinator of the ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
US braces for evictions crisis as aid talks stall in Washington
August 13, 2020 | Yahoo! NewsCivil legal aid attorneys and others are scrambling to head off a monumental wave of evictions nationwide, as the coronavirus crisis leaves tens of millions at risk of homelessness. Attorneys can work to ensure that an eviction stays off a tenant’s record, making it easier to find a new home, said John Pollock, coordinator of the ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
News Story
(NATIONAL)
The Trump administration shut down the Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice in 2018. All it took to unravel the small, nonprosecutorial unit that the Obama administration had created in 2010 was a notice to Congress and some tweaks to department websites. Now, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic coincides with a nationwide racial justice movement, lawmakers are trying ... Read more
Virus, Protests Fuel Push To Reopen Access To Justice Office
August 9, 2020 | Law360The Trump administration shut down the Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice in 2018. All it took to unravel the small, nonprosecutorial unit that the Obama administration had created in 2010 was a notice to Congress and some tweaks to department websites. Now, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic coincides with a nationwide racial justice movement, lawmakers are trying ... Read more
Op-Ed
(NATIONAL)
Right to counsel should be guaranteed in non-criminal cases involving basic human needs like food, shelter, employment, health care and physical safety.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
COVID shows why we need legal aid for civil cases like evictions
August 7, 2020 | USA TodayRight to counsel should be guaranteed in non-criminal cases involving basic human needs like food, shelter, employment, health care and physical safety.
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Louisiana, NATIONAL, Ohio, Wisconsin)
This piece includes the perspectives of legal aid advocates in states across the country. The outlook is bleak. “I’ve never seen this many people poised to lose their housing in a such a short period of time,” one attorney said. “This is a huge disaster that is beginning to unfold.”
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
Wave of evictions expected as moratoriums end in many states
August 4, 2020 | Associated Press (AP)This piece includes the perspectives of legal aid advocates in states across the country. The outlook is bleak. “I’ve never seen this many people poised to lose their housing in a such a short period of time,” one attorney said. “This is a huge disaster that is beginning to unfold.”
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
News Story
(NATIONAL)
Every year, about 2.3 million American renter households receive eviction papers at some point. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we might see that many evictions in one month. Global advisory firm Stout, Risius and Ross estimated on Wednesday (see above for link to eviction estimation tool) that more than $21.5 billion in past-due rent is looming ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
U.S. Renters Owe $21.5 Billion in Back Rent; Republicans Offer No Eviction Relief
July 29, 2020 | New York Times (NYT) , Reuters News Service , St. Louis Post-DispatchEvery year, about 2.3 million American renter households receive eviction papers at some point. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we might see that many evictions in one month. Global advisory firm Stout, Risius and Ross estimated on Wednesday (see above for link to eviction estimation tool) that more than $21.5 billion in past-due rent is looming ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction
News Story
(Ohio)
Always stretched thin, legal aid groups — like the Legal Aid Society of Clevelandand Community Legal Aid in Akron — continuously face tough decisions of who to help and who to turn away because of finite resources. The requests for help have only picked up in recent months, and the situation could become even more ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance
Legal aid providers, already stretched thin, anticipate surge in evictions and requests for help
July 28, 2020 | Crain’s Cleveland BusinessAlways stretched thin, legal aid groups — like the Legal Aid Society of Clevelandand Community Legal Aid in Akron — continuously face tough decisions of who to help and who to turn away because of finite resources. The requests for help have only picked up in recent months, and the situation could become even more ... Read more
Tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Housing: Eviction | Unemployment Insurance