USE FEDERAL STIMULUS TO FUND TENANT RIGHT TO COUNSEL

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USE FEDERAL STIMULUS TO FUND TENANT RIGHT TO COUNSEL

Winston Salem City Council and Forsyth County Commissioners

Winston Salem and Forsyth County (WSFC) have received over $120 million in combined federal stimulus funds intended to help local governments build back better after the pandemic.

Pre COVID - WSFC ranked among the highest in the country in rates of evictions.

During the pandemic the conditions that created that grim statistic only got worse. The people who were already at the bottom of the income ladder lost their jobs, saw their hours cut and have yet to catch back up.

WSFC has the opportunity to change things by funding a tenant right to counsel program.

90 percent of landlords are represented by legal counsel in eviction hearings but fewer than 10 percent of tenants have representation

Representation gets results!

Similar programs around the country have seen up to 85% of tenants with legal representation be able to stay in their homes.

Petition by

Winston-Salem DSA

Winston Salem, North Carolina

To: Winston Salem City Council and Forsyth County Commissioners
From: [Your Name]

We request that the city and county each contribute $600,000 from the federal stimulus to fund a legal aid program that guarantees tenants the right to counsel in eviction court.