April 12 - PACK THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING and flood the phone lines for Right To Counsel Ordinance

Demand the Detroit City Council vote YES for a Right To Counsel Ordinance. THE TIME IS NOW!

Evictions are on the rise again- on average 50 Detroiters will face eviction every week we wait.

This is not the time for a little grant program that will provide "access" to counsel to a few. We must make a systemic impact to reverse the tide of evictions that is harming women, children, elders, the disabled, workers, and our neighbors all over the city.

We are so close to victory ~ JOIN US in the final push to advocate at Detroit City Council as they cast their votes. Meeting at 10am on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

*Public Comment and Call In*  [ARRIVE 10 MINUTES EARLY]

• Attend in Person:

  Coleman A. Young Municipal Building
  2 Woodward Ave., 13th floor
  (Sign up for public comment when entering room)

• Attend Online:

  https://Detroitmi.gov/Online-CC-Meeting 
  (Raise hand immediately upon entering room)

• Attend by Zoom Phone:

  Call 1-312-626-6799
  Enter Meeting ID: 85846903626#
  (Raise hand immediately by pressing *9)

**Talking Points below flier**

DOWNLOAD, PRINT, SHARE this FLIER In PDF and PNG

Talking Points

1. A right to counsel works. In Detroit, a person is 18 times more likely to avoid eviction when they have an attorney.
   

2. A right to counsel keeps Detroiters in their homes and decreases homelessness.
   

3. A right to counsel prevents blight because the best blight prevention is keeping people in their homes.
   

4. A right to counsel is an investment in our community. There is a 3:1 return on investment for every dollar invested in a right to counsel.
   

5. Right to Counsel is an equitable, just, and responsible public policy. It is one of the most fiscally sound public policies the city has, and there is no reason not to fully fund it.
   

6. Failing to pass and fully fund a right to counsel hurts black women, elders, seniors, children, and the disabled. We must protect our most vulnerable community members.
   

7. Detroiters deserve an equitable budget, not a bare bones budget for a right to counsel.
   

8. The City of Detroit received $826,675,290 in ARPA funds; that’s more than enough to fully fund a right to counsel.
   

9. It is unfair to allocate $40 million in ARPA funds for landlords and small business support, most of whom are not Detroit residents, and not proportionally fund a right to counsel.
   

10. Right To Counsel has been successfully implemented in 13 cities and 3 states. It is a proven and successful investment in people and neighborhoods.
    

11. A $17 million dollar investment in Right To Counsel is estimated to yield approximately $58.8 million in savings to the City of Detroit.
    

12. We can't afford to do nothing and maintain the status quo. The City of Detroit loses approximately $3,751 annually per resident in non-reimbursable federal funding if a resident is evicted and migrates out of the City. Homelessness and housing instability hurt our people and erode our communities.

Watch this 3-minute video The Right to Counsel for Tenants - A Growing Movement, posted by the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel on Jan 20, 2022.