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After hours of testimony, Douglas County directs staff to study tenant right-to-counsel options and possible pilot funding
Summary
Following presentations and nearly three hours of public comment both for and against, the commission directed staff to study tenant-right-to-counsel and mediation models (including Topeka and Johnson County examples) and explore using a $40,000 set-aside for near-term pilot work; no ordinance was adopted.
Commissioners spent the longest portion of the Dec. 17 meeting on an update and public hearing about a possible tenant right-to-counsel program.
Staff summarized earlier research and outreach with local and state partners, then Shannon Owry, CEO of the Lawrence–Douglas County Housing Authority, described eviction drivers and program mechanics: "About 90% of all the eviction cases are nonpayment [of rent]," she said, and emphasized that rental assistance and early intervention are essential tools. Owry explained the mutual-release process the housing authority negotiates with landlords and described how eviction records can trigger HUD voucher consequences.
Hundreds of minutes of public comment followed. Landlords and property owners urged caution, warned that…
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