PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Alton Cain, an 80-year-old retired butcher, has paid his rent on time all his life. He never had a problem with a landlord until the pandemic.
Cain has a note from his doctor explaining that his respiratory condition prevents him from wearing a mask, but he said his landlady still tried to evict him for not wearing one.
“I had nowhere to go,” he said. “I had no money. My rent was paid up on time. If I’d gotten put in the street, I would’ve been dead by now.”
Luckily, a friend referred him to the SeniorLAW Center. One of their attorneys was able to represent him, pro bono, and he won his case.
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Now, any low-income resident in parts of North and West Philadelphia will qualify for that same kind of help under a Right to Counsel pilot project, the newest feature of the city’s eviction prevention and diversion programs.
“Having an attorney in the court makes a real difference in the process and in the outcome of the case,” said Deputy Managing Director Eva Gladstein in announcing the pilot, which she said is receiving $650,000 in city funding.
City Council approved Right to Counsel in December 2019, in response to Philadelphia’s high eviction rate. A few months later, evictions were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now with evictions resuming, officials say they are trying to level the playing field in a process in which landlords overwhelmingly are represented in court and tenants seldom are.
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“Having legal representation can be the difference between stability and being out on the street,” said Councilmember Jaime Gauthier, whose district covers the 19139 ZIP code, one of two in the pilot project. The other is 19121.
“The next time a mother calls my office stressing about losing their home and how they’re going to keep their kids safe, I can tell them that they are guaranteed expert counsel,” she said. “I can tell them that they do not have to fight this alone and I can tell them that due process is guaranteed to everyone, not just those who can pay for it.”
To access Right to Counsel, tenants can call the Philly Tenant Hotline at 267-443-2500. Legal representation and support will be provided by Community Legal Services, SeniorLAW Center, Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Philadelphia VIP and Tenant Union Representative Network.
Gladstein said the goal is to expand the pilot to more ZIP codes each year until the program is citywide.
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