This guest column that appeared in the New York Times on January 13 is a must-read (also see it as a PDF here).
We are far from alone in our work in Massachusetts, as evidenced by this op-ed’s authors, Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and Chief Justice Hecht of the Supreme Court of Texas.
They speak to a national crisis that needs urgent fixing on a state level:
While federal funding may have spurred the initial reaction to the growing eviction crisis, state governments, and state courts especially, must continue the work of eviction prevention and diversion.
And they close with this:
As Winston Churchill has been credited with saying, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” If courts simply return to their pre-pandemic practices, they will have done exactly that.
Thanks to the nearly 600 subscribers on this Western Massachusetts blog for pushing for lasting solutions. We are not alone!