New LSC Brief Presents Promising Programs to Reduce Evictions
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Carl Rauscher
Director of Communications and Media Relations
rauscherc@lsc.gov
202-295-1615
WASHINGTON—The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) released an issue brief today, “Breaking Down Barriers: Promising Programs and Initiatives to Reduce Evictions,” which highlights efforts to increase access to eviction-related legal services. The featured initiatives either began or expanded during the pandemic.
In 2020, LSC launched a congressionally directed eviction study to investigate the unmet legal needs associated with the eviction crisis in the United States. To date, the study has produced several products exploring different aspects of the nation’s eviction crisis.
Widespread layoffs during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented unemployment rates and increased eviction risk, particularly among low-income tenants. To help keep renters in their homes, civil legal service providers developed collaborative programs and innovative initiatives to enable low-income people to overcome barriers to justice and prevent evictions.
In 2020 and 2021, Congress provided $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance for tenants who could not pay rent or utilities, and eviction moratoria and other tenant protections were enacted at the federal, state and local levels. As funds became available and new eviction protections went into effect, tenants needed help navigating changing policies and accessing rental assistance.
“It is important to recognize the substantial efforts of the civil legal services providers who stepped up in a difficult time and created new initiatives to meet the urgent needs of low-income Americans facing eviction,” said LSC President Ron Flagg. “This brief will help to spread the wisdom these successful programs are built upon, and will also help us understand how we can continue to support civil legal services as the housing crisis continues.”
The innovative partnerships outlined in this new brief demonstrate the value of collaboration and creative thinking in addressing the complex issue of eviction. The brief highlights specific initiatives in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington D.C.
The programs took a wide range of approaches, including focusing on eviction diversion and prevention, centralizing services to increase efficiency, leveraging law students and pro bono attorneys, employing technological innovations, and expanding the use of navigators and non-lawyers.