{"id":19034,"date":"2022-09-29T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=19034"},"modified":"2023-11-20T15:20:17","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T20:20:17","slug":"study-shows-informed-tenants-are-more-successful-when-fighting-eviction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/study-shows-informed-tenants-are-more-successful-when-fighting-eviction\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Shows Informed Tenants Are More Successful When Fighting Eviction"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When tenants know more about the legal proceedings surrounding the eviction process, they’re more likely to remain housed, according to a <\/span>new study<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many tenants are unfamiliar with the legal proceedings involved with an eviction, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

“During the legal eviction process, tenants tend to lack procedural knowledge about how courts operate and how to argue their case,” the study reports. “Uneven access to this information tends to result in less favorable outcomes for tenants.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Court-ordered evictions are entered into a renter’s financial record, which is noted in every background and credit check run before a loan is approved or home is rented. This can have a devastating effect on future housing opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Legal evictions, therefore, severely limit future housing and borrowing opportunities, functioning as a mechanism that allows for the ‘reproduction of urban poverty,'” the study notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistically, it’s more likely that a judge will rule in the landlord’s favor in eviction<\/a> cases due to several factors. Many tenants fail to show up to court, resulting in a default judgment in favor of the landlord. Additionally, tenants often do not have an attorney.<\/span><\/p>\n

In civil matters, the constitution doesn’t guarantee the right to a lawyer, and many tenants facing eviction<\/a> can’t afford one. However, they tend to have a more favorable outcome when they do have legal representation. Attorneys’ procedural knowledge allows them to “refram[e] their [clients’] housing troubles from a relational experience into a formal civil procedure.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Without an attorney, tenants often can’t navigate this process. Meanwhile, landlords or property management groups, who are much more familiar with the procedure, can put the tenants at a disadvantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, does providing more procedural knowledge\u2014essentially evening the playing field\u2014reduce eviction rates? That’s the premise of the study.<\/span><\/p>\n

1 in 19 Renter Households Faces Eviction in New Orleans<\/span><\/h3>\n

In order to conduct the study, researchers utilized Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative’s (JPNSI) Tenant Early Eviction Notification System (TEENS). The system distributes information to tenants in New Orleans facing eviction about the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

The TEENS program was created by JPNSI, a New Orleans-based housing justice organization, in response to the high rate of evictions. One in every 19 renter households in New Orleans faces a court-ordered eviction. Black, low-income, and female-headed households are most impacted. Some clients also complained that eviction notices were not properly posted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Program volunteers contacted as many tenants as possible via door-to-door canvassing, postcards, and phone calls. They also explained court hearing procedures and offered guidance on how to apply for rental assistance. They then attended court hearings to record the rulings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some tenants facing eviction were not contacted because there weren’t enough volunteers to reach every tenant.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group followed all cases filed in the East Bank of Orleans Parish between June 1 and Aug. 12, 2021. Of the 406 filings, 297 made it to court by Dec. 20, 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

Volunteers recorded four possible outcomes:<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n