Events › Promoting Housing Stability through Legal Aid and the Courts

In conjunction with the exhibit, Evicted: A Closer Look at America's Housing Struggle and Crisis, join CPL and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness for a panel discussion about the nationally recognized Chicago/Cook County program to help people facing eviction. 

Moderator Bob Glaves, Executive Director of the Chicago Bar Association will be in conversation with Rick Ruffing of Stout, Dennericka Brooks of Legal Aid Chicago with input from representatives of the City of Chicago and Cook County.

A recent report from the global advisory firm Stout found the City of Chicago Right to Counsel pilot "RTC," which works hand-in-hand with the Early Resolution Program (ERP) in the Circuit Court of Cook County, forms a unique and innovative model designed to ensure all unrepresented tenants can access high-quality legal assistance in eviction cases tailored to the tenant's circumstances. The report found that this cost-effective model is making a tangible, positive impact in promoting housing stability and improving access to justice across Cook County. The report further found that the ERP+RTC model, with sufficient funding, can be a cost-effective and replicable approach to promoting housing stability by tailoring services to the client's needs. 

One of the lead evaluators from Stout, Rick Ruffing, will discuss the findings from their report and how this model can be replicated statewide in a cost-effective way, with input from representatives of the City of Chicago and Cook County and one of the key legal aid partners for the program, Dennericka Brooks from Legal Aid Chicago.

Accessibility
Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or emailaccess@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.

Rick Ruffing, Director - Disputes, Claims & Investigations, Stout

Dennericka Brooks, Managing Director, Legal Aid Chicago

Bob Glaves (Moderator), Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation

Dominic Tocci, Deputy Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development

Olivia Ortega, Director of Policy, Office of the Mayor, City of Chicago