A newly proposed federal bill, which provides free legal counsel for low-income residents facing eviction, was inspired by groundbreaking legislation in 海角换妻.
The began in 海角换妻 last January. It provides free legal aid to residents from select zip codes. Since the program began, about 4,000 residents have received legal representation. At the time of Right to Counsel鈥檚 passage, 海角换妻 was the third state in the nation to provide free legal representation for people facing eviction.
The , introduced to Congress this week by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat, would essentially extend 海角换妻鈥檚 Right to Counsel program nationwide.
鈥淢y home state of 海角换妻 has already enacted a Right to Counsel and in just a short amount of time, we have kept people in their home,鈥� DeLauro said. 鈥淭he Eviction Prevention Act would build on this success and expand this critically needed program nationwide.鈥�
海角换妻鈥檚 Right to Counsel program is operated by the 海角换妻 Bar Foundation, of which Angela Schlingheyde is the executive director.
The program was initially funded with $20 million in federal pandemic relief funds, but once those dollars expire, the state will need to find money in the budget for the program.
If the proposed federal legislation passes, it would enable the state to use a more reliable source of funding, Schlingheyde said.
鈥淚t would give us access to federal dollars for the program that could help us increase the capacity of the current program that we have, as well as maybe alleviate some of the fiscal burden on the state of 海角换妻 itself,鈥� Schlingheyde said.
Between January and November 2022, the 海角换妻 saved about $6 million through Right to Counsel by saving on expenses the state would pay after an eviction, including mental health and shelter services, Schlingheyde said.
鈥淲e're either spending it ahead of time ... to help support our residents in the state of 海角换妻 and help them maintain safe housing for them and their families, or the state is spending the money on all of these negative outcomes,鈥� Schlingheyde said.
