The Emergency Eviction Legal Services (EELS), is quietly changing lives by providing critical assistance to residents facing eviction. A recent story detailed by Pima County's Newsroom highlights their work. The EELS program, launched in August 2021, has to date offered a legal lifeline to over 2,300 households, with nearly 700 receiving full representation and half of those achieving a favorable result in their eviction cases.
The program operates under the Department of Community & Workforce Development (CWD) and employs Court Navigators who refer tenants to pro-bono attorneys and offer advice on housing matters. Andrew Flagg, a deputy director of CWD, told Pima County's Newsroom about the timing coinciding with two navigators being certified as Housing Stability Legal Advocates by the Arizona Supreme Court, enabling them to provide qualified legal guidance.
Tenants also gain access to expedited rental and job assistance programs, according to Lenora Anderson, EELS program manager, in an interview with Pima County's Newsroom. EELS's proximity to the One-Stop Career Center is an additional asset, offering a seamless referral process for tenants seeking employment to improve their financial stability.
The journey from receiving an eviction notice to obtaining help from EELS is often fraught with uncertainty. Before a name like Cassaundra King, a court navigator for EELS, who faced immediate lease termination after being charged with a crime—struggle to navigate the legal complexities alone. King, when referring to the effectiveness of the program in the proceedings, told Pima County's Newsroom, "Much of the EELS contact with clients happens during this window," speaking to the vital intervention window after an initial court hearing.
Even as eviction judgments are commonly issued, EELS has successfully helped tenants and landlords negotiate new agreements, avoiding the harsh outcome of eviction in some cases. When the legal system does proceed with eviction, a social worker from the program is often present to provide support to those affected, as told by Anderson to Pima County's Daniels Newsroom. Moreover, EELS also contributes to post-trial stability, by offering aid in finding new housing or jobs and even offering emergency shelter in a former hotel turned housing project, proudly mentioned by Flagg in the same conversation with Pima County's Newsroom.
The full article on the program's efforts and the stories of those it has helped is available at the Pima County Newsroom.
