Right To Counsel BaltimoreAddressing the Civil Rights Issue of Eviction in the Wake of COVID-19

Photo credit: www.evictions.study

“The number of Black female headed household removals is 3.9 times higher (296% more) than the number of white male headed evictions (2,996 vs. 775) and 2.3 times higher for Black male headed households.”

“7.3% of all Back male headed households and 5.4% of all Black female headed households were removed from their homes. These rates are roughly 51% and 11% higher than the White male headed eviction rate.”

https://evictions.study/maryland/report/baltimore.html

Eviction in Baltimore: A Civil Rights Issue

Eviction in Baltimore: A Civil Rights Issue

“The map shows that the highest risk of eviction occurs in the most segregated neighborhoods to the West and in gentrifying neighborhoods to the East.”-- Dr. Timothy Thomas, https://evictions.study/maryland/report/baltimore.html

Every Crisis New Foundation

• Moving toward 25% unemployment• 20% delinquency rate for April rent according to Md. Multi-

Housing Assoc. May expected to be worse.• No clear additional relief from Fed or State.• Eviction is a public health issue Forcing thousands of families

into the streets during a pandemic will significantly hamper COVID-19 recovery

How do we prevent an avalanche of evictions AND lay a new foundation in Baltimore for a

human right to housing?

Moving toward Right to Counsel: Proven, Cost Effective

• 4% of evicted children enter into foster care• $36,026: weighted average boarding and administrative

costs of foster care per year• 74% of cost paid by State; 1% paid by City

• 873 persons use emergency room because they are homeless due to eviction.• Average cost: $7,602• State Medicaid: $2,175,334• City Medicaid: $414,349

• 670 persons experience in-patient hospitalization because they are homeless due to eviction.• Average cost: $37,906• State Medicaid: $8,315,964• City Medicaid: $1,583,993

• $10,600,000: spent by Baltimore City Schools on transportation for homeless students (cabs, uber, etc.)

• $8,855: annual cost of transportation per homeless student

• 275 students

• State funding each year measured by enrollment on Sept. 30 with some exceptions

• $7,244 per student from the State• 318 homeless students chronically absent due to eviction

avoided by right to counsel

•1,444 households that avoid shelter entry due to right to counsel in evictions

•$3,390 average cost of shelter stay

•838 households that avoid transitional housing stay

•$6,301 average cost of transitional housing stay

How does the City/State pay for this?

• Immediate down payment from CARES Act: $13 million CDBG-CV. Most money will go to rental assistance and some to legal representation.

• Legislation at City level to create the right, detail who is eligible, specify phased implementation similar to Philly, and create accountability mechanism

• Legislation at State level to provide a portion of the funding for local jurisdictions that adopt a right to counsel

Questions and Contact Information• Matt Hill, Public Justice Center, 410-625-9409, ext. 229,

hillm@publicjustice.org• Charisse Lue, Public Justice Center, 410-625-9409, ext. 245,

luec@publicjustice.org• Molly Amster, Jews United for Justice, (301) 529-3875,

molly@jufj.org• Reena Shah, Md. Access to Justice Commission, 443-703-3037,

reena@msba.org