Reno Justice Court pilot Housing Court funnels rental aid to tenants facing eviction, court says

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 the city allocated $500,000 from Assembly Bill 396 funding to the pilot. Litz said program eligibility requires applicants to have: income at or below 60 percent of area median income, a sustainable income that will allow paying future rent, and an eviction notice for nonpayment of rent. Applicants must complete a financial literacy requirement with Opportunity Alliance Nevada as part of eligibility, Litz said.

Assistant court administrator Jeremy Wilson described the network of partners on site at Reno Justice Court’s civil self‑help center: Nevada Legal Services and Northern Nevada Legal Aid provide legal assistance; the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has an eligibility worker for Medicaid and other benefits; Nation’s Finest provides veteran‑specific wraparound services; and workforce partners such as the Reno‑Sparks Chamber of Commerce connect tenants to jobs.

City staff reported that from the program’s August start through November 2024, the Housing Court assisted 46 households and, after including December data, 66 households. City staff said a landlord survey showed about 80 percent of those households remained housed. The city reported 167 people were assisted in total and said it had spent about $200,000 in the program’s first four months and expected to fully expend the $500,000 pilot allocation before the end of the fiscal year while surpassing an initial goal of 50 households.

Kimberly Pickens of Nation’s Finest said her organization had directly assisted four households (seven individuals) under the pilot for a total of $11,484; Pickens said 100 percent of those households remained housed and that Nation’s Finest provides case management, health navigation, housing location and other wraparound supports.

Commissioners asked about scaling and legislative interest. Burchi said other Nevada courts are exploring eviction diversion programs—Las Vegas Justice Court operates a different eviction diversion court—and she offered to work with the county’s legislative advocates on strengthening state‑level support. Commissioner Andriola asked whether state legislators were interested in carrying related bills; Burchi said she had seen bills filed concerning eviction diversion and would coordinate with local lobbyists.

The presenters emphasized that Housing Court is not a singular solution to the broader housing shortage but a targeted tool to stabilize households at immediate risk of eviction. City staff and the court said next steps include seeking additional funding, expanding legal aid partnerships, and implementing a case‑management system modeled on evidence‑based therapeutic court practices to reduce repeat filings.

The commissioners thanked the presenters and stakeholders for the partnership and for early program outcomes.

Ending: The court and city described the Housing Court as a collaborative, low‑cost pilot that expedited rental assistance for tenants while maintaining landlord payments; the city and court said they will continue to track outcomes and seek funding and systems to expand the model.