In the Media

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Washington Post: When facing eviction, some D.C. renters will now get free lawyers

More low-income tenants facing eviction in the District will soon arrive in court with something that has been shown to keep families in their homes and, in some cases, ensure they don’t lose access to government housing assistance: a lawyer. Beginning this month, a coalition of six nonprofits, 19 private law firms and the D.C. Access to Justice Commission will relaunch an initiative that, officials said, will guarantee more D.C. tenants who receive some kind of government housing subsidy access to a lawyer to represent them for free throughout eviction proceedings.

DCist: Nonprofits Revive Right-To-Counsel Program For Tenants Facing Eviction

A group of six nonprofit legal service organizations and 19 law firms are reviving a pilot program that matches some tenants facing eviction with free legal assistance, reviving a pre-pandemic effort that helped dozens of families stay in their homes. Spearheaded by Legal Aid DC, participating groups will begin notifying eligible tenants about the program by the end of November. Program participants have pledged to provide counsel to one out of every six tenants who use a housing subsidy and are facing a publicly scheduled eviction proceeding in November and December.

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