Mayor Wu Announces Access to Counsel Pilot Program to Help Families Facing Eviction

New program will build on City’s ongoing work with partners to prevent evictions, which resulted in 423 evictions prevented in 2024

 

Building on the City’s work to make Boston a home for everyone, Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the Access to Counsel Pilot Program, a new initiative to support families with school-aged children facing eviction. The program, led by the Office of Housing Stability (OHS) in partnership with Boston Public Schools (BPS) and local legal aid organizations, provides free legal representation to eligible families needing help preventing housing displacement.

“The upheaval and uncertainty that comes with eviction can disrupt every aspect of a family’s life, especially for children who need stability to succeed in school. This program is about helping families get the support they need to stay in their homes and stay connected to their communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Housing stability is essential for our families, schools, and neighborhoods. We are proud to take this step forward to support our most vulnerable residents and explore solutions that work for our entire city.”

The Access to Counsel program works through Boston Public Schools’ Early Homelessness Intervention Program (EHIP), in partnership with FamilyAid Boston, which serves as the central hub for connecting families to legal assistance and other critical resources to help mitigate eviction. School homelessness liaisons will identify families at risk of eviction, and FamilyAid Boston will coordinate with Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) to support families in navigating the eviction process and addressing related needs. For more information regarding GBLS services and eligibility for free, full legal representation, please visit GBLS’s website.

“Evictions disrupt families, uproot children from their schools, and create ripple effects that can last for years,” said Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing. “This program offers a real opportunity to stabilize families, keep children in their classrooms, and build stronger, more resilient communities across Boston. By addressing housing instability head-on, we are investing in the long-term well-being of our families and our city.”

“In the midst of our current affordability crisis, we must use every tool at our disposal to keep Boston a welcoming place for families,” said City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune. “As a former housing attorney representing residents facing eviction, I know that the Access to Counsel Pilot Program is a powerful statement of our city’s commitment to the well-being of families who call Boston home, recognizing that stable housing is at the heart of stability and student success.”

"Providing access to counsel for Boston families in eviction proceedings is the right thing to do," said District 6 City Councilor Ben Weber. "The pilot will allow families more time to find replacement housing, prevent vulnerable kids from having to experience eviction, and will save public resources which would have to go to a shelter and busing for kids who are located far from their communities. I want to thank the Mayor, my Council colleagues, and the Mayor's Office of Housing for making this a reality."

The Access to Counsel program is part of Boston’s comprehensive eviction prevention strategy, which includes providing emergency rental assistance to help families stay in their homes, housing search services to support those in need of stable housing, and an established presence at housing court to facilitate early intervention and mediation between landlords and tenants. With these interventions, in 2024, OHS staff along with their partners prevented 423 evictions. These eviction prevention efforts are designed to address the root causes of housing instability and prevent displacement.

By prioritizing families with school-aged children, the program seeks to reduce educational disruptions that can have long-term impacts on academic performance and emotional well-being. Additionally, it aims to stabilize family environments, recognizing that housing insecurity can profoundly affect children’s physical and mental health, future opportunities, and overall quality of life.

"Access to stable, safe, and healthy housing is a basic need for every child and a cornerstone of equity and justice in our City; yet, right now, less than five percent of families facing eviction have legal representation,” said Hed Ehrlich, Managing Attorney of the Housing Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services. “This program is a bold step toward addressing that inequity, significantly expanding legal services to protect our most vulnerable community members, and hopefully a foundation for a future where every tenant has a right to counsel."

With legal representation and access to other critical resources, the program offers a comprehensive approach to housing stability. This latest effort, in partnership with FamilyAid Boston and Boston Public Schools, allows for expanded support to families and reinforces the City’s commitment to lowering eviction rates and addressing systemic inequities in housing.

“We are proud to be part of this impactful initiative as it reflects a collective commitment to addressing the needs of the whole child and supporting their well-being,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper. “There is no doubt that stable housing is essential for student success and the Access to Counsel Pilot Program is a critical step in ensuring that our families have the support needed to stay in their homes so that our students have the stability they need to thrive in school and beyond.”

The pilot program is backed by $300,000 in funding included in the City’s FY25 annual operating budget and distributed by the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet. The funding is expected to assist at least 120 households during 2025. Data collected through the program will help the city evaluate its impact on housing stability and educational outcomes.

“Keeping residents and families in their homes and stabilized in their communities is key to making Boston a home for everyone,” said Chief of Equity and Inclusion Mariangely Solis Cervera. “The Equity and Inclusion Cabinet is grateful for the partnership across City departments and looks forward to this new pilot connecting families with school-aged children at risk of eviction to legal services.”

Legal representation under the Access to Counsel Pilot Program will begin this month. Families in need can connect with school liaisons or contact the Office of Housing Stability for more information. For more information, visit the webpage here.