Alabama Housing Finance Authority and Legal Services Alabama Save 3,000 Households from Eviction

April 05, 2023

More than 3,000 Alabama households have been saved from eviction thanks to a partnership between the Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) and Legal Services Alabama (LSA).

The Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative began in May 2021 as a way to speed up federal financial assistance for renters facing eviction with court cases pending. The accelerated funds were available to people with eviction notices who applied to the statewide Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program administered by AHFA, earned less than 80 percent of area median income, and attested to financial hardship caused by the pandemic. AHFA reached out to LSA’s Tuscaloosa office to implement a pilot program, which later expanded to include all eight LSA offices in Alabama.

“Many of these clients were just a few days away from homelessness,” said AHFA Multifamily Administrator David Young. “Using a portion of the state’s ERA funds for this effort was a lifeline to those most in danger of drowning.”

Through March 31, the Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative has rescued 3,190 households with nearly $22 million in rent and utility assistance, an average of $6,832 per household. Expediting the legal processing for these emergency cases reduced clients’ waiting time for funds to as fast as 14 days, compared to 30 to 60 days in normal processing.

“We believe in the familiar saying that ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’” said Young. “By enabling families at high risk to stay in their homes, this collaboration contributes to the economic stability of our communities as a whole.”

Now in its closing days, ERA was designed to provide short-term help to lower-income renters experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. Funded by the U.S. Treasury, ERA’s statewide program focuses on renters in the state’s more rural counties.

“LSA is thankful for our partnership with AHFA,” said LSA Executive Director Guy Lescault. “If not for our shared willingness to collaborate, the thousands of Alabamians struggling from the pandemic housing crisis would not have been as readily served. LSA is proud to work with our community partners to ensure we are meeting the needs of our clients in every corner of the state.”

The LSA law firm provides free, client-centered, civil legal advocacy to low-income Alabamians and collaborates with others across the state and nation to find solutions to systemic issues caused by poverty and social justice inequities.