Please see this update from the Right to Counsel Coalition and how to contact Governor Baker below!
Last week, the Governor announced that “…. he is not inclined to once again extend the state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium, which is due to expire on October 17… and he thinks the courts can handle the press of evictions in a way that protects tenants in danger of losing their housing.apartments.” Baker weighs in on budget, eviction moratorium
We disagree – the courts cannot handle the press of eviction cases alone. Leaving this to the courts alone risks widespread housing instability and homelessness, and will devastate vulnerable communities.
Because we feel the urgency – last week the Right to Counsel Advisory Committee sent Governor Baker and State House Leaders a letter urging immediate action to deliver a continuum of legal representation and housing stability support. We changed the proposal from handling 5,000 cases to handling over 22,000 cases. Through non-lawyer and lawyer teams statewide, the model seeks to provide the right assistance at the right time across the entire state. See Letter to Governor with Urgent Request for Comprehensive Plan.
We are in dialogue with the Governor’s office and his administration about the proposal, but we need your help.
Action Needed
We need your help to communicate to the Governor the urgency for a comprehensive plan for tenants and homeowners. Here is a sample email that you can use as a guide.
Dear Governor Baker,
Time is of the essence. Courts alone cannot handle the eviction crisis and protect people in our communities from being evicted. Massachusetts needs a comprehensive plan for tenants and homeowners to prevent mass eviction and we urge you to:
- Fund rental assistance to stabilize people’s housing and prevent homelessness.
- Adopt a framework to provide time, protection, and housing assistance to tenants, homeowners, and landlords to keep people housed.
- Implement a statewide right to counsel program to prevent eviction and preserve tenancies.
Tenants, landlords, municipal leaders, health care professionals, and advocates are scared about what will happen when the eviction moratorium ends. The CDC moratorium is not enough. We urge you to use COVID relief funding to prevent housing instability and keep Massachusetts residents safe. We need your leadership to get us through this. Thank you.
Your Name and Organization
_____________
Email the Governor TODAY: Use this form
Call the Governor’s office TODAY (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- Main Office 617-725-4005
- Toll-free 888-870-7770
- TTY 617-727-3666
__________________Thank you for your continued work on these issues.
Annette Duke on Behalf of the Right to Counsel Advisory Committee
Right to Counsel Advisory CommitteeJack Cooper and Renee Spencer, Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants
Zoe Cronin, Greater Boston Legal Services
Gladys Vega and Norieliz DeJesus, Chelsea Collaborative
Sheila Dillion, Boston Department of Neighborhood Development
Eric Shupin and Ryan Dominquez, Citizens Housing and Planning Association
Chris Norris and Steven Farrell, Metro Housing|Boston
Russell Engler, New England Law-Boston
Cindy Rowe and David Albright, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Ellen Shachter and Susan Chimene, City of Somerville, Office of Housing Stability
Laura Rossi and Jayna Stafford, Housing Families
Pamela Schwartz, Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness
Nicole Summers, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
Kelly Turley, Mass Coalition for the Homeless
Jayne Tyrrell, Mass IOLTA Committee
Vincent Wisniewski, HomeStart
