HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND THAT COULD LEAD TO EVICTION. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE LEARNED THERE’S NO CLEAR DATA THAT ACTUALLY LINKS EVICTIONS WITH HOMELESSNESS. THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TRACKS THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT IT DOES NOT TRACK WHY. HOWEVER, THERE’S NO DENYING THAT IF SOMEONE IS EVICTED, THEY COULD BE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. THAT’S WHY WE FOUND THERE ARE SEVERAL GROUPS IN PITTSBURGH ACTIVELY WORKING TO PREVENT EVICTIONS, KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES. SO LOW. THE HOUSING INSECURE CITY HAS BEEN A VEXING PROBLEM IN THE COUNTY. ALLEGHENY COUNTY, FOR DECADES. LISA SCHROEDER IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION. SHE SAYS PRE PANDEMIC THERE WERE ABOUT 1200 EVICTION FILINGS EACH MONTH IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY. THAT’S MORE THAN 14,000 FILINGS A YEAR. FILINGS BEING THE KEY WORD. SCHROEDER SAYS WE HAVE NO INFORMATION MATSON ON HOW MANY OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS ARE ACTUALLY EVICTED BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS ARE NOT REPORTED IN THE STATE DATABASE. AN EVICTION BAN IS SUCH A DISRUPTIVE EVENT FOR FAMILIES WITH IMPACTS THAT OFTEN FOLLOW THEM FOR YEARS, IF NOT DECADES, THAT WE PUT TOGETHER THE EVICTION WORKING GROUP, BRINGING IN BRINGING TOGETHER PARTNERS FROM ALL SECTORS IN ORDER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEVELOP A ROBUST AND ROBUST AND SET OF ASSISTANCE THAT’S SET OF SERVICES AND SET OF COURT PROCEDURES THAT WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR FAMILIES TO TO PREVENT EVICTION BEFORE IT HAPPENS. WE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM EVEN BEFORE COURT. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT, PREVENTION IS THE LAWYER OF THE DAY PROGRAM, WHICH IS MOSTLY FUNDED BY PITTSBURGH’S HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FUND THROUGH THE URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. RIGHT NOW, THE PROGRAM SENDS ATTORNEYS IN PERSON TO FOUR DIFFERENT MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT COURTS IN THE CITY, CONNECTING TENANTS WITH ALL KINDS OF RESOURCES FOR FREE. THEY’LL DO OUTREACH TO THE TENANTS, TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND GET STARTED ON THOSE APPLICATIONS FIRST. AND THEN WITH THAT, THEY WILL REFER THEM OVER TO LEGAL ASSISTANCE AS WELL, WHETHER THAT BE NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES OR EBONY LAW. NICK BRADY, A HOUSING ATTORNEY AT NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES, SAYS THEY’VE CONVINCED THE MAGISTRATES TO CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THEIR LANDLORD TENANT CASES TO ONE DAY A WEEK, WHICH HELPS BECAUSE EVEN IF TENANTS HAVE BEEN UNRESTORED OFFENSIVE OR THEY COULDN’T CONNECT WITH THEM FOR WHATEVER REASON AHEAD OF THE HEARING, AN ATTORNEY WILL BE IN COURT TO HELP BECAUSE OF THIS, BRADY IS HOPING THE PROGRAM EXPANDS INTO MORE COURTS SOON. IT HELPS HOMELESSNESS A LOT WHEN WE ARE IN THE COURTS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY TEN DAYS AWAY FROM MISSING A CRITICAL APPEAL DATE AND 21 DAYS FROM ACTUAL EVICTION AND WITH NO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. YEAH, WE’RE WE ARE HELPING THAT ISSUE ALSO WORKING TO PREVENT EVICTIONS IS JUST MEDIATION. PITTSBURGH, A GROUP DEDICATED TO HELPING LANDLORDS AND TENANTS FIND SOLUTIONS TO HOUSING DISPUTES INSTEAD OF GOING TO COURT. THE MAIN ISSUE THAT WE DEAL WITH ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH PAYMENT. SO IT’S ARREARAGES RENTAL ARREARS, FINANCIAL ARREARAGES, BUT THEY’RE ALSO HABITABILITY ISSUES. BRENDA HARRIS IS THE MEDIATION AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR AT JUST MEDIATION PITTSBURGH. SHE SAYS MEDIATION IS FREE TO EVERYONE CONFIDENTIAL AND A VOLUNTARY PROCESS. HARRIS SAYS ONCE EVERYONE COMES TO AN AGREEMENT, THEY SIGN A LEGALLY ENFORCEABLE DOCUMENT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH PARTIES TO CONTROL THEIR FATE AND TO COME TO A SOLUTION AND A RESOLUTION, ALONG WITH ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN PARTNER THEM WITH SO THAT THE SITUATION CAN BE RESOLVED AND SO THAT THEIR FUTURE CAN LOOK BRIGHTER. THAT IS WHAT’S IMPORTANT. LET’S RELOOK AT THE NUMBERS. WE TOLD YOU THAT PRE-PANDEMIC THERE WERE ABOUT 1200 EVICTION FILINGS EACH MONTH IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY, THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION SAYS POST-PANDEMIC THAT NUMBER DECREASED TO ABOUT 770 FILINGS PER MONTH. SO WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE NEED NEW SOLUTIONS. NOW WE NEED A VASTLY DEEPER AND BROADER SET OF SERVICES TO REAL