THE LEGAL MINUTE
PHOTO CREDIT : PIXABAY
Needing Access to Counsel
Indigent Atlantans Need a Fair Opportunity at Keeping Their Homes in Eviction Court .
PIERCE G . HAND , IV Fulton County District Attorney ' s Office pierce . hand @ gmail . com
One of the most troubling injustices in the City of Atlanta is the lack of access to counsel for indigent tenants in landlord-tenant matters . Providing tenants counsel during eviction hearings will improve tenant outcomes in eviction court by providing them with a real shot at exercising their legal rights and remaining in their homes . Without this opportunity , tenants will remain at the bad end of an uneven playing field and will continue to lose their homes even when their eviction is wrongful . Additionally , access to counsel is also good for the City of Atlanta as a whole . Benefits likely include saving millions of dollars needed to find and provide housing to homeless tenants after an eviction , avoiding the loss of affordable units , providing some relief to non-profits and bar associations only able to provide a fraction of tenants with pro bono legal services , and decreasing
16 March / April 2022