Legal Aid DC’s Housing Law Unit saw a 54% increase in intakes for evictions this year — a reflection of the growing number of families struggling to maintain their housing.  

Legal Aid’s housing attorneys helped hundreds of clients facing the loss of their housing, closing 393 eviction defense cases over the last year.

Still, too few tenants have legal counsel as they navigate the complex eviction proceedings. And sometimes, like in the case of Ricky McComb, clients wind up in court because of extensive problems within DC’s housing assistance programs.  

Legal Aid’s housing team works to prevent clients like Mr. McComb from falling into the devastating cycle an eviction can cause. Legal Aid staffs the Landlord-Tenant Legal Assistance Network phone hotline five days a week and the courthouse office two days a week to offer representation and advice to as many low-income residents as possible.  

Legal Aid’s client community is hit the hardest when budget cuts and policy changes affect the housing programs many rely on. This was especially true this year for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which helps tenants in crisis who are falling behind on rent and at risk of eviction.  

In June, the DC government passed a budget that slashed ERAP’s budget by more than half. Now, the DC Council has also added new restrictions to the program and stripped protections from evictions for tenants seeking the program’s help.  

Throughout this uphill battle, Legal Aid’s Housing Law team has worked side-by-side with our client community and partner organizations to advocate for stronger rental assistance for families who often have to make impossible choices between paying rent and putting food on the table.  

In the past few months, Legal Aid staff have testified before the DC Council, met with Councilmembers, collaborated with advocacy partners, shared information with tenants, and organized a town hall with residents in Ward 8. Emergency rental assistance will continue to be one of our top housing policy priorities in 2025, and our eviction defense work will become even more critical if tenants seeking ERAP are facing a bigger fight to keep their housing. 

Housing Law by the Numbers