HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-13-25 Public Comment - T. Goebel - Please support Tenant Right to Counsel - a common sense solutionFrom:Tia Goebel
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Please support Tenant Right to Counsel - a common sense solution
Date:Monday, May 12, 2025 9:37:09 PM
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My name is Tia Goebel and I am writing in support of Right to Counsel for tenants. I am a
tenant and I have worked and lived in this community for ten years. I have servedhardworking people who are vulnerable to the violence and the disruptions of eviction, and I
too, have faced many housing struggles here. I am so excited that Right to Counsel is beingconsidered - what an amazing opportunity to make a big difference with a relatively small
amount of money.
Keeping people in their homes is a way to fight homelessness and promote the health andwell-being of individuals and families. Keeping people in their homes makes our community
safer. When people have what they need to live, people are more resilient to challenges -whether that be the rising costs of living, mental illness, or more predatory situations such as
low wage jobs or sexual abuse.
I urge you to ask the questions you need to in order to take the Right to Counsel programseriously and get it off the ground. I support diverting money from less effective programs to
this data-backed one.
As covered in the Right to Counsel Town Hall that took place on May 4th, national, statewide,and local data all point to this program as an effective and low-cost solution for helping
tenants and landlords more effectively resolve disputes. Creating more fairness and efficiencyin the legal system - that's a win for all of us. Furthermore, Right to Counsel is a preventative
solution because it keeps an eviction off of someone's record, making it more likely for themto find housing in the future.
I hope we can recognize that landlords paying attorneys to take tenants to court are taking on
some of the expenses of owning and running a business. Meanwhile, when tenants are taken tocourt - a system they do not and cannot be expected to learn to navigate within a few days or
weeks - they are fighting for their lives.
For landlords, it will be easier to work with an attorney than a tenant who is confused andangry. And as Montana Legal Services Association stated at the town hall, free legal advice
for tenants is vastly underfunded across our state. I hope we can also recognize that this typeof Right to Counsel service already exists right here in Bozeman and it is very successful -
MSU students can make an appointment to get legal support for $10. I used this service as astudent and it was educational and reassuring; with the help of the ASMSU legal program, I
stayed in school, finished my Bachelor's, and I have also gone on to earn my Master's Degree.Please support Right to Counsel - it is a common sense solution that will benefit people from
all walks of life.
As a healthcare provider, I cannot overstate the connection between well-being, health, andhousing security. I hope Bozeman will join the list of cities across our country celebrating this
policy win and truly making their communities safer places to live. Let's keep people in their
homes and bring more fairness and justice to the legal system. Let's use city money surgicallyto prevent the harm and distress of eviction befalling individuals and their families. Let's
deliver on a data-backed solution to address the housing crisis.
Thank you for your consideration, time, and effort. I applaud your service to our community.
-Tia
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Tia Goebel
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Candidate
2024 NBCCF Minority Fellowship Program - Addictions Counseling Fellow
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Montana State Universitypronouns: she / they What are pronouns? Click here.Cell: (605) 440-1452