Applications Available for Advancing Racial and Health Justice Through Right to Counsel for Tenants Facing Eviction

 

Results for America logoResults for America, along with several partner organizations, have begun to collect applications for a program entitled Advancing Racial and Health Justice through Right to Counsel for Tenants Facing Eviction. The program is nine weekly virtual Zoom sessions where place-based teams at the state or local level will collaborate and receive guidance from experts on how to enact, design, implement, and sustain tenant Right To Counsel (RTC) policies and programs within their jurisdictions, with a focus on racial and health equity.

For many types of civil court cases, the potential consequences of losing are dramatic: loss of one’s home, children, livelihood, education, health, safety, liberty, or even life. Evictions potentially impact all of these interests for millions annually. Evictions also negatively impact tenant mental and physical health, employment stability, and increase the risk of homelessness, which can in turn increase interactions with the criminal legal system and child welfare system.

The power dynamic between landlords and tenants is imbalanced from the beginning of the rental relationship. Landlords write the leases; landlords say yes or no to a potential renter; and landlords determine whether and when to employ the eviction process. The mere filing of an eviction action against a tenant, regardless of the outcome (including if the tenant won), can remain on a tenant’s record for years and impact future housing opportunities.

Worst of all – evictions, and their residual consequences, are not experienced equally as they threaten, disrupt, and harm communities of color disproportionately across the country. A long, continuing, and unaddressed history of racism in U.S. housing policy and practice, has led to a reality where Black women renters face eviction twice as often as white tenants. And getting legal assistance for an eviction, particularly for low-income tenants, is often a game of chance.

A right to counsel for tenants is a guarantee in the law that eligible tenants will be provided with an attorney when they face an eviction, or other eligible equivalent proceeding. Fifteen cities and three states have enacted a right to counsel for tenants since 2017 (most of them, during COVID-19).

A right to counsel policy is a critical intervention in the eviction crisis because it is demonstrably effective and cost-efficient for jurisdictions. It is also a compliment to other tenant protections, and broader housing justice and health justice reforms. 

Applications for the program from interested jurisdictions should meet the following criteria:

  • Have demonstrated interest and/or commitment to developing an RTC program in their community. 
  • Teams are collaborative and diverse and include individuals from the following categories. A majority of the members (3-5) must be able to participate in all the sessions and complete assignments.
    • Strongly recommended: Affiliated legal aid providers, community-based organizations, tenant organizing groups, or representatives from council, mayor’s office, legal, housing, or public health departments 
    • Recommended: Affiliated nonprofits, community engagement departments, post-eviction service providers, emergency rental assistance providers, housing court judges/staff, evaluators (including researcher or university), state-wide representatives (if no city- or county-level is available)
  • Has made a declaration of racism as a public health crisis through a formal statement from a government official and/or entity.

Applications to participate in the program must be submitted by February 24, 2023

Program Application

 

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