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Reno Justice Court pilot Housing Court funnels rental aid to tenants facing eviction, court says
Summary
Reno Justice Court launched a Housing Court pilot this year that pairs expedited rental assistance with legal and social services; city of Reno allocated $500,000 from Assembly Bill 396 for the pilot, and court partners say the program helped 66 households through December 2024, with 80% of surveyed households remaining housed.
Reno Justice Court launched a pilot Housing Court this year to speed rental assistance and link tenants facing nonpayment evictions to legal, financial and social services, Justice of the Peace Kendra Burchi said during a presentation to the Washoe County Board of Commissioners.
The pilot is a problem‑solving eviction diversion program that screens tenants when they file tenant affidavits, fast‑tracks applications for rental assistance and coordinates on‑site legal help, housing case management, and referrals to other community resources, Burchi said.
The program matters because eviction can trigger homelessness, long‑term financial instability and traumatic outcomes for children and adults. “Housing court is a specialized problem solving court designed to address the root causes of eviction while balancing the needs of landlords and tenants,” Burchi said. The court said the pilot uses existing local resources and was created without new county funding.
City of Reno housing manager Jana Litz told commissioners…
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