In much of the country, more and more renters are devoting larger and larger portions of their income to rent. For low-income families, this can push them further into poverty and put them at risk for being evicted — and becoming homeless.
News Story (NATIONAL)
Teresa Wiltz
Stateline
October 27, 2017
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Civil Right to Counsel, Housing: Eviction
Organizations mentioned/involved: Impact Center for Public Interest Law (NY), National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (NCCRC), Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF)
News Story (NATIONAL)
Teresa Wiltz
Stateline
October 27, 2017
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Civil Right to Counsel, Housing: Eviction
Organizations mentioned/involved: Impact Center for Public Interest Law (NY), National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (NCCRC), Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF)
DETAILS
Evictions destabilize families, forcing them into poorer neighborhoods with higher crime rates. And evictions cost cities money: After a family is evicted, a city can end up losing thousands of dollars in property taxes and unpaid utility bills, and may have to bear increased costs from homeless shelters and hospitals.
To address the problem, some cities are trying a new tactic: provide tenants with free legal counsel in housing court. In eviction proceedings, the vast majority of landlords, 85 to 90 percent in some housing courts, show up to court with a lawyer, while tenants often face eviction without legal counsel.