State Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, has announced that the House Democratic Policy Committee will hold a public hearing on legal aid for tenants facing evictions.  

The hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, 2020, but has been rescheduled and will be held at 10:00 AM Friday, October 9, 2020 in Room G-50 Irvis Office Building in Harrisburg. The media and public are urged to watch the livestream at www.pahouse.com/live. 

Requested by state Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila; Morgan Cephas, D-Phila.; and Sara Innamorato, D-Allegheny, the hearing will collect testimony from policy experts as they work on legislation to provide legal aid for tenants. Testifiers will speak remotely while members will participate in person and remotely.  

Testifiers will include:  

• Patrick Cicero, executive director, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network.  
• John Pollock, staff attorney, Public Justice Center.  
• Rasheedah Phillips, managing attorney of housing policy, Community Legal Services, Inc. 
• Bob Damewood, staff attorney, Regional Housing Legal Services.  
• Kevin Quisenberry, legislative director, Community Justice Project. 
• A. Michael Snyder, chancellor, Philadelphia Bar Association. 
• Catherine Carr, civil Gideon and Access to Justice Task Force co-chair, Philadelphia Bar Association. 

Following the hearing, testimonies and full hearing video will be posted at www.pahouse.com/policycommittee.