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Douglas County commissioners hear case for tenant right to counsel; staff to review proposed language
Summary
Presentations from a national coalition and local tenant organizers outlined research and local survey data supporting a government-funded tenant right-to-counsel program. County legal counsel and staff will review proposed resolution language and return recommendations to commissioners for next steps.
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday heard a presentation on establishing a tenant right-to-counsel program, with proponents saying government-funded attorneys for tenants facing eviction can reduce homelessness, advance racial equity and correct legal imbalances in eviction court.
Andrew Ashbrook, tenant right-to-counsel implementation adviser at the National Coalition for Civil Right to Counsel, told the commission that jurisdictions with funded tenant counsel show improved outcomes for tenants and cost savings for local government. "Only 4 percent of tenants nationwide are represented, while 83 percent of landlords are represented in eviction cases," Ashbrook said, arguing that government-funded full representation corrects that disparity.
Proponents emphasized local data. Vince Munoz, an organizer with Lawrence Tenants, said the county’s tenant experience survey found that 50.5 percent of housing units in Douglas County…
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