Council members press to expand eviction right‑to‑counsel funding and boost housing investments

Several council members used the June 1 work session to push for larger investments in housing and eviction prevention, describing the mayor’s proposed $2.4 million for an eviction right‑to‑counsel (ERTC) program as a starting point rather than a cap.

Council Member Spain proposed raising ERTC funding in stages: one option would double the mayor’s allocation to $4.8 million with $1.4 million from the Barnes Affordable Housing Trust and $1 million from the affordable housing loan program; another proposal included increasing the program to $5 million and even to $6.6 million in different council proposals, funded from combinations of Barnes, self‑insured liability and other departmental sources.

Members also urged bolstering the Barnes Trust and other housing tools. Council Member Allen proposed an additional $1 million for the Barnes Affordable Housing Trust to move toward a $30 million target recommended in the unified housing strategy; other members suggested redirecting uncommitted pilot funds into the trust to maximize leveraging.

Several council members asked the planning department to fund a dedicated social‑housing staff position (one‑time or grant‑funded) to support housing implementation and proposed leveraging revolving loan funds and bond funds for home preservation and city‑owned housing options. Council Member Gamble asked for $1 million for home‑preservation programs that assist seniors and low‑income homeowners.

Finance staff did not adopt or reject any requests at the work session; council leadership said prioritization and substitution work will begin in the next meeting and emphasized that some proposals depend on identifying funding sources and may change during the substitute and amendment process.

Next procedural steps: council members will prioritize items during the substitute budget process beginning Thursday; final allocations will depend on substitute language, identified funding sources and any probe by finance staff about feasibility.