Hamilton County General Sessions Court has received a grant from the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) Eviction Diversion Initiative to strengthen eviction diversion efforts and improve housing stability across Hamilton County.
Hamilton County General Sessions Court is one of 13 state and local courts selected through a competitive application process and review by an advisory council led by NCSC. Locally, the initiative will include a new Housing Stability Facilitator who will be housed at the City of Chattanooga and work directly with Hamilton County General Sessions judges to assist landlords and tenants before eviction cases are adjudicated in court.
"The courtroom must be a place of fairness and impartial application of the law, but it can also be a place of innovation and collaboration,” said Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Alexander McVeagh.
“I am grateful for the work that the National Center for State Courts will make possible through the Eviction Diversion Initiative, as it provides another fair and legal mechanism for property owners, tenants, and community partners to work together in constructive ways."
Each court will use the grant funding to hire dedicated staff to implement holistic, sustainable, and community-driven strategies for resolving legal problems. Successful eviction diversion programs provide landlords and tenants with the time, information, and resources necessary to resolve their housing problems without prolonged litigation.
"You can't overstate the lasting impact losing a home can have on individuals and families, especially children," said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. "With support from the National Center for State Courts' Eviction Diversion Initiative, we can connect local tenants and landlords with the services and guidance they need to prevent costly and traumatizing evictions—helping both the landlord and the tenant."
“This is an outstanding example of public service. Different agencies working together to improve the lives of our citizens. Thanks to the leadership of Judge McVeagh and the partnerships of Hamilton County, the City of Chattanooga and the National Center for State Courts, the EDI will present possible solutions to a life challenging threat,” said Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger. “Citizens who may have felt they had no place to turn to when faced with the unimaginable loss of housing, will now have advocates to turn to and assist in the retention of their homes.”
"While the economic havoc of the COVID-19 pandemic made a bad situation worse, we know that a housing crisis has been brewing here for some time,” said Maeghan Jones, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. “Right now, we have a responsibility to both help families in immediate danger of losing their homes while also addressing the root causes of this problem. Thanks to the support of the National Center for State Courts, landlords, local governments, and community partners can keep working together to find safe and legal remedies that slow the rise in evictions and build a more stable and sustainable community for everyone."
Courts will benefit from ongoing peer learning opportunities, a national evaluation led by Stout Risius Ross LLC, and intensive technical assistance provided by NCSC as they implement eviction diversion and court reform strategies that leverage community resources including legal aid and mediation services, housing and financial counseling, and rental assistance programs.
States benefiting from the grant program include Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia.
Visit ncsc.org/eviction for more information about NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative.