EDI will improve Court processes, improve outcomes for tenants and landlords
WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 1, 2022 – Allen Superior Court has received a $164,040 grant from the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) Eviction Diversion Initiative to strengthen eviction diversion efforts and improve housing stability in the community.
Superior Court was selected through a competitive application process and review by an advisory council led by NCSC. Thirteen jurisdictions nationwide received grants through the program.
Judge Jennifer DeGroote
“Over the past two years our community has faced challenges that we never imagined,” said Allen Superior Court Chief Judge Jennifer DeGroote. “The pandemic aggravated already serious problems posed by the number of evictions we experience in Allen County. Building a dedicated Eviction Diversion Initiative will benefit tenants and landlords, keep more people in their homes, and diminish the profound impact on lives that can result from a loss of housing.”
Superior Court will use the grant funding to hire dedicated staff to implement holistic, sustainable, and community-driven strategies for resolving legal problems. Successful eviction diversion programs provide landlords and tenants with the time, information, and resources necessary to resolve their housing problems without prolonged litigation.
In recent years, prior to pandemic-related eviction moratoriums, the number of evictions filed in Allen County has been as high as 5,300 in 2018. In 2021, a year in which eviction moratoriums began to wind down, the total number of eviction claims filed was 2,811.
Courts will benefit from ongoing peer learning opportunities, a national evaluation led by Stout Risius Ross LLC, and intensive technical assistance provided by NCSC as they implement eviction diversion and court reform strategies that leverage community resources including legal aid and mediation services, housing and financial counseling, and rental assistance programs.
States benefiting from the grant program include Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia.
Visit ncsc.org/eviction for more information about NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative. The Indiana Judicial Branch website has information related to evictions and facilitation.
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About the National Center for State Courts
Headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., the National Center for State Courts is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.