Detroiters Facing Eviction Deserve A Right To Legal Representation

Detroit City Council must act with urgency to pass a Right to Counsel ordinance to protect Detroiters facing eviction!

The U. S. Supreme Court has struck down the CDC eviction moratorium. The time has passed for temporary solutions. We must treat housing as a human right, and a right to counsel ordinance is the long-term solution we need.

Detroit has a steadily growing eviction crisis that displaces elders and families, increases poverty, disrupts education, exacerbates mental health issues, and causes a vicious cycle of blight and poor housing conditions. The people of Detroit need a long term, systemic solution.

When people have legal representation they are more likely to stay in their home.  For instance, in San Francisco eviction filings decreased by 10% between 2018 and 2019 67%of those with a lawyer stayed in their homes. In New York City, 86% of tenants who received right to counsel representation stayed in their homes! Cities throughout the U.S. that have implemented a right to counsel for people facing evictions have successfully and substantially reduced evictions. We know that a right to legal counsel provides due process and access to justice for our most vulnerable community members. We must invest in and protect all Detroiters.