Committee on Health Equity, Human Needs and Strategic Planning Hears Report on the Successes of Right to Counsel Program

MILWAUKEE – Yesterday, the Committee on Health Equity, Human Needs and Strategic Planning heard an informational report provided by the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, highlighting the successes and achievements of the Right to Counsel Program from UW-Stout. Supervisor Ryan Clancy made the following statement: 

“One of the remarkable aspects of the Right to Counsel Program is its effectiveness in helping individuals facing eviction achieve their case goals,” said Supervisor Clancy. “When the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors passed this in June of 2021, it made us the first county in the country to provide this right to folks facing eviction. Seeing the data and listening to the lived experience of people who have been positively impacted by this is nearly overwhelming. I hope that we can stand back for a minute and appreciate how effective and efficient it can be to do the right thing in this way, and I hope this serves as a model to guide the Board’s action in the future.” 

“My thanks go out to the stakeholders involved in the Right to Counsel Program, including Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha, Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Democratic Socialists of America, UW-Stout, and Inpower, for their unwavering support and commitment to ensuring that individuals facing eviction have access to legal representation. Their tireless efforts in spreading awareness about the program and assisting those in need deserve our utmost appreciation.” 

The Right to Counsel Program, implemented in September 2021, has been instrumental in providing legal representation to tenants facing eviction cases. The program aims to address the challenges faced by tenants amidst economic and labor market difficulties, including inflation, a tight rental housing market, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The informational report showed that Eviction Free Milwaukee (EFM) attorneys have significantly helped clients achieve their eviction case goals, such as preventing eviction judgments, sealing eviction records, preventing involuntary moves, securing rent assistance, and securing additional time to move.   

The evaluation of the Right to Counsel Program has revealed that EFM clients disproportionately identify as female and Black compared to Milwaukee’s population. 

The informational report also showed that the Right to Counsel Program has generated economic and fiscal benefits. It estimated that Milwaukee County has realized economic benefits of $9 million to $9.3 million as a result of the program, with a return on investment of approximately $3.00 to $3.10 per $1 spent. These benefits include out-of-home foster care cost savings, economic value preserved by reducing migration out of the county, cost savings related to housing social safety net responses, retaining funding for Milwaukee Public Schools, and cost savings related to Medicaid spending on healthcare. 

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.