HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-13-25 Public Comment - J. McCracken - Support Right to CounselFrom:Jon McCracken
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Support Right to Counsel
Date:Tuesday, May 13, 2025 7:41:15 AM
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Dear Bozeman City Commission,
I am writing to you in the hope that Bozeman will join New York, Kansas City, Boulder, and
many other cities in adopting Tenant’s Right to Counsel.
55% of Bozeman residents are renters: skilled labor, service-industry professionals, social
workers, teachers, and more. When they lose their homes, their children are more likely to
miss school. They are more likely to use homeless shelters. They are more likely to lose
their jobs, making it even harder to find new housing.
I’m dismayed to learn that in the Gallatin Valley, a tenant’s only recourse in an eviction
court case is often to represent themselves. They are given five days to prepare their own
case in the midst of juggling their jobs, their families, and the stress of eviction. A court-
ordered eviction appears on their permanent record, making it much harder to rent in the
future. And in our booming real-estate market, an eviction notice is often the result of a
desire to sell the property or raise the rent substantially.
Tenant’s right to counsel solves this issue by giving tenants fair representation in the
courts. This representation allows them to not only avoid homelessness (92% of cases in
San Francisco), but also gives them more time to move (97% in Louisville, enough time to
find other housing), and improved overall health. Landlords experience faster resolution of
cases and less financial loss.
Additionally, cities with these programs require less intervention from law enforcement and
less from homeless shelters. In fact, for every dollar spent on Tenant’s Right to Counsel,
cities gain a mean return of $3.13.
A more humane system that works for all parties involved and spends money so efficiently
that the city sees a return of more than three times their expenditure does not appear to
have a downside. As a homeowner and resident of Bozeman for over twenty years, I urge
you to adopt Right to Counsel.
– Jon McCracken