Rep. McGee Champions Right To Council In Eviction Proceedings

Press release from CGA:

May 17, 2021

Representative Brandon McGee (D-Windsor/Hartford), Chair of the Housing Committee, has championed the passage of HB 6531, An Act Concerning the Right to Counsel in Eviction Proceedings.

This legislation passed 109 to 38 through the Connecticut House with bipartisan support.If passed by the Senate, Connecticut will be the second state in the nation to pass such legislation, following Washington State in late April.

“Despite the countless hardships that many families have endured throughout the pandemic, I am proud to say that facing an eviction proceeding without legal representation will not be one of them. This legislation is critical to keeping families and children safe from eviction,” said Rep. McGee. “As a result of COVID-19, upwards of 103,000 families in Connecticut are currently behind on rent. It is vital, now more than ever, that our tenants in Connecticut receive the fair and equitable legal proceedings they deserve. This bill is another step towards racial equity as black and brown folks have been disproportionately impacted by lack of legal counsel in eviction proceedings. This is the least our state can do to support the hard working families of Connecticut who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.”

Less than 7% of tenants have legal representation in eviction court proceedings, meanwhile 80% landlords have representation. Furthermore, people of color are disproportionately impacted by lack of legal representation as only 5% of black and latinx tenants have counsel in eviction proceedings. This bill ensures that working families who cannot afford a lawyer, will have access to legal counsel.

This legislation also increases the probability of mediation; when both parties obtain legal representation, an execution is issued for 2.9% of cases, while an execution is issued for 38% of cases when only the landlord is represented in court.

This program benefits Connecticut economically as it will be funded federally through the American Rescue Plan and decrease the collateral costs associated with eviction and homelessness. The program will commence July 1, 2021.

This press release was produced by CGA. The views expressed here are the author's own.