ST. LOUIS – A new board bill signed into law Wednesday gives St. Louis City residents facing evictions the right to have a lawyer.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones signed Board Bill 59 on Wednesday, which creates a Right to Counsel program. Jones is hopeful the bill will protect lower-income renters and prevent more families from ending up homeless.
“In a city where almost 60 percent of households are renters, this bill demonstrates St. Louis’ commitment to strengthening tenant protections and reducing housing instability in our communities,” said Jones. “When we protect tenants, when we make sure families have a place to stay, we are addressing a major root cause of crime in our neighborhoods and across our entire city. Today is just the first phase in what will be a long-term project, and it is important to remember it will take time for providers to scale this effort up to meet the needs of St. Louis families.”
According to Board Bill 59, the new Right to Counsel program…
Offers full legal representation for those facing evictions through lawyers licensed to practice in the State of Missouri.
Creates a tenant legal services coordinator within the St. Louis Department of Human Services.
Requires ongoing assessment of and oversight from the legal services coordinator.
Requires property owners to provide tenants information regarding the availability of the program before termination.
The initial program, which by ordinance is set to begin on July 1, 2024, will focus on zip codes with high rates of eviction. Nearly $685,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are being invested into the program.
“Today, St. Louis becomes the 22nd jurisdiction in the country to put a right to counsel for eviction cases in place and it could not come at a more opportune time,” said St. Louis Board of Alderman President Megan Green. “Between the ongoing affordable housing crisis and the end of covid-era moratoria, tenants are in a precarious position. Balancing the relationship between landlords and tenants is key to addressing housing insecurity in our city. And I’m grateful to renters, advocates, Mayor Jones’s administration, and my colleagues at the board for working together to make this possible.”
Cities like Kansas City, San Francisco, and New Orleans have implemented similar programs to support tenants who lack access to legal support during the eviction process.