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Legal Aid urges tenant right‑to‑counsel pilot for Norman after county eviction review
Summary
Legal Aid representatives told the oversight committee Cleveland County sees thousands of eviction filings each year; council members discussed funding a $100,000 pilot to hire one attorney to represent tenants in Norman as a prevention strategy to reduce homelessness.
City Attorney Rick Knighton and representatives from Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma presented information on eviction filings and legal assistance on Dec. 11, and council members discussed piloting a tenant right‑to‑counsel program in Norman.
Knighton introduced Michael ("Mike") Figgins, executive director of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, who said timely legal assistance prevents evictions and reduces downstream costs. "In this county, you're dealing with 4,000 evictions a year, eviction filings," Figgins said, citing…
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