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Douglas County directs staff to develop tenant-eviction-defense pilot after hours of testimony
Summary
After more than two hours of public comment and commissioners’ questions, the Douglas County Board voted 3–2 to direct staff to develop a tenant eviction defense pilot using $40,000 set aside in the 2026 budget; staff said the amount will provide limited access and that a fuller right to counsel would require additional funding and agreements with community partners.
The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners on March 25 voted 3–2 to direct county administration to design a tenant-eviction-defense pilot using $40,000 that the commission set aside earlier this year.
Staff described the proposal as a limited pilot, modeled in part on Topeka’s program, that would provide brief legal advice and, when warranted, representation in eviction answer dockets. Jill (county staff) told commissioners that the $40,000 is available for partial-year work and that the pilot would not guarantee universal “right to counsel” at that funding level.
Supporters at the mic said the pilot could prevent unnecessary homelessness and correct power imbalances in eviction court. “Let’s get this started,” said Cassandra Barrett, a public commenter who described working with families in crisis. Molly Rucker, speaking for community groups, cited larger-city outcomes and said legal representation can sharply increase tenants’ chances of avoiding displacement.
Opponents — many of them small local landlords — argued the pilot uses taxpayer money to fund one side of private contract disputes and urged the commission to prioritize rental assistance instead. “This policy is unfair to small local housing providers,” said David Jones, who manages rental property in Douglas County.
Staff and legal partners who testified outlined how the pilot would work. Hetty Pierce Armstrong (Kansas Holistic Defenders) and Trey Duran (Kansas Legal Services) described capacity limits: Holistic Defenders currently has one civil attorney for eviction work and triages cases by urgency and potential defenses; they said many local filings are for nonpayment of rent and that only a fraction of in-person callers receive full representation. Jill said staff would solicit proposals from nonprofit legal providers and define reporting requirements and metrics before launching the pilot. The recommended start was June with quarterly reporting and a staff return to the commission with a final program and a possible 2027 budget request.
Commissioners who supported the motion framed the $40,000 as a contained experiment to capture local data courts do not provide and to offer brief legal advice at the answer docket—a “backstop” that might reveal system gaps and guide future investments. Commissioners who opposed it said the pilot is the wrong use of limited county funds and argued that rental and utility assistance would more directly prevent eviction.
The motion to direct staff to develop a tenant eviction defense pilot passed 3–2. Commissioners asked staff to include clear intake questions and outcome metrics, to coordinate with the City of Lawrence and existing providers (self-help center, Building Peace, Kansas Legal Services), and to invite landlord participation in pilot evaluation. Staff were directed to return the final program to the commission for approval.
