A newly released report from the Stanford Community Law Clinic reveals that evictions in San Mateo County have returned to pre-pandemic levels and are on the rise. Commissioned by Legal Aid SMC in partnership with Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA), the study examines evictions filed before and after COVID19-related moratoriums.
Along with the increase in evictions, the study highlighted other concerning trends including the continued rise of corporate landlords and a drop in the number tenants who had legal help facing their evictions. But the report also reaffirms that the efforts of legal aid organizations are working, revealing a drop in default judgements, where a tenant fails to respond and automatically loses their case.
In the Stanford Lawyer, Juliet Brodie, Director of the Community Law Clinic and co-author of the report, says it “suggests that even limited legal help, such as assistance with filling out court documents, can make a major difference. Unsurprisingly, the tenants who are able to show up in court have much better outcomes than those who don’t.”
Click below to read the report or learn more about the legal aid organizations serving low-income communities in San Mateo County.