A ‘right to counsel’ program that offers legal aid to residents facing eviction has saved the state $36 million.
An eviction prevention program in Connecticut has saved the state over $36 million in money that would have been spent on emergency shelter and other supportive services, helping thousands of residents remain in their housing, reports Ginny Monk in CT Mirror.
According to Monk, “Connecticut’s right to counsel program launched in 2022 with $20 million in federal COVID relief money through the American Rescue Plan Act. That funding runs out this year, making right to counsel one of many social service programs in the state facing a fiscal cliff as the one-time dollars run out.”
The program offered legal aid to almost 5,500 households, helping them navigate the process to fight evictions. “The percentage of tenants who had legal representation in areas served by the right to counsel program has nearly tripled in the time since the program started, from around 7% to 18%.”
Read the full story: CT ‘right to counsel’ helped thousands stay housed; saved state $36M
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