Legal Aid Society Announces $3.4M Savings for Davidson Residents Through Eviction Assistance Program

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, (TN Tribune) – Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, announced today that according to a newly released independent study, its Eviction Right to Counsel pilot program saved Davidson County residents more than $3.4 million over its first year.Eviction Right to Counsel is a 2-year pilot program aimed at providing outreach, education and legal aid to qualifying low-income renters. The program is a partnership between Legal Aid Society and Conexión Américas, with additional assistance provided by the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association; the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center; the People’s Alliance for Transportation, Housing and Employment; and the American Muslim Advisory Council. It’s the first program of its kind in Middle Tennessee to take a comprehensive approach to eviction, providing legal counsel for tenants while educating both tenants and landlords about their rights and responsibilities.The $3.4 million figure comes from a new, independent evaluation of the program created by advisory and consulting firm Stout, which was presented to Metro Council in early November. The report, available for download from Legal Aid Society’s website at https://las.org/ertc/ertcevaluation2023/, also documented that:    * 1,010 Eviction Right to Counsel clients were assisted by Legal Aid Society and the...