This post is based on an August 2022 study by Hannah Kase and edited by Pat Wrona
In early 2021, CARPLS began its work for the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt-Early Resolution Project (ERP) and since then has completed third party negotiations and settlements on behalf of hundreds of ERP clients.
The ERP program was a major undertaking for CARPLS and introduced a new element to its services: ongoing settlement negotiations.
The ERP team has worked very hard to achieve success since CARPLS took the program on, persevering through changing circumstances in the world around us. It has been an exciting new addition to our usual services.
Here is a look back at the program’s success:
Helping clients stay in their homes
- 44.3 percent of eviction clients reached agreements to stay in their homes after receiving help from CARPLS.
- Not everyone wants to or can stay in their present apartment, but getting as much time as possible to move out was also an important point our attorneys negotiated for on behalf of clients.
- CARPLS negotiated a total of 4271 extra days, an average of 61 extra days per client, for eviction clients to remain in their homes. This means CARPLS helped eviction clients stay in their living spaces for about two extra months on average, which makes a major difference in overall quality of life for clients. Many clients may have faced quick eviction if the ERP team did not accept their cases, but CARPLS helped buy them extra time to make a plan in handling their evictions and finding new places to live.
Saving clients $$$
- CARPLS has helped save ERP clients more than $864,000 in a one-year time period!
- An average of nearly $3,000 saved for each ERP client.
- There was a range of savings, but one client was saved $23,750!
Helping with rental assistance
- Rental assistance is critical in settling eviction cases. With the guidance, information, and follow up the CARPLS attorneys provided to clients, clients were able to secure critical rental assistance, and save a total of $730,000 in rental assistance. The average amount of rental assistance that CARPLS helped clients secure per eviction client was over $4500.
Cases dismissed
- Of the cases studied, 99.3 percent of consumer cases were dismissed, and 94.8 percent of eviction cases were dismissed.
Thank you to Hannah Kase, senior at Brown University, and 2022 summer volunteer at CARPLS, for conducting this study. And a big thanks to the ERP negotiations team for your hard work and dedication!
