Advocates Seek Legal Help For Those Facing Eviction

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apartments-safe-5

Groups advocating for affordable housing in Michigan say systemic fixes are needed to keep people in their homes once the federal moratorium on evictions ends. The Biden administration has extended the moratorium through July 31, but said it would be the last extension. Tonya Myers Phillips with Michigan Legal Services and the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice says social service groups are connecting people with emergency rental assistance, but it won’t be enough.

“They’ll be somewhat of a bridge, you know, it won’t be wide enough to cover everybody. So, what we believe is important to do is put together those systemic fixes, such as a right to counsel – in times of emergency, but also when this emergency aid runs out.”

Michigan landlords, on average, file 200-thousand evictions a year, and roughly 40,000 households lose their homes. Myers Phillips supports a right to counsel for anyone facing an eviction. She says every renter facing the court deserves legal representation.