STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Government Performance and Financial Management
AGENDA DATE: January 13, 2021
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): All
DEPARTMENT: Office of Procurement Services
EXECUTIVE: Elizabeth Reich
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SUBJECT
Title
Authorize a subrecipient agreement with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, most advantageous proposer of two, to provide legal services to Dallas residential tenants at risk of eviction and homelessness due to financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic for the period December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2021 - Not to exceed $200,000 - Financing: 2020 CARES Act Relief CDBG #3 Fund
Body
BACKGROUND
This subrecipient agreement will provide for eviction legal services for the Dallas Eviction Assistance Initiative. The Evictions Assistance Initiative was created to continue mitigation of evictions efforts in Dallas. The initiative establishes an evictions program where direct legal services will be provided to Dallas residents who are Low Income as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, specifically those at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and residents negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the initiative is to mitigate Dallas residents finding themselves facing eviction and possible homelessness without the resources to retain legal representation.
Due to COVID-19 financial hardships, residential tenants have faced the threat of eviction and homelessness. Evictions data from Princeton's Eviction Lab has shown drastic fluctuations between 2000 and 2016. Although the county eviction data for 2020 is limited, it has been found that the City of Dallas accounted for 60 percent of all eviction proceedings filed in Dallas County from January through November. Limited data available also found that the City accounted for 56 percent of evictions in Denton County Precinct 6 from January through October. Data analysis fr...
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