Douglas County to consider tenant eviction defense pilot, free legal aid

Douglas County’s new eviction defense pilot will reach only a fraction of the renters who may need it. County staff say the seven-month program can serve up to 80 low- and moderate-income residents facing landlord-tenant disputes, while about 165 people a year could qualify for legal representation in contested eviction cases.

The program, approved by the Douglas County Commission in a 3-2 vote on March 25, will run from June 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, with $40,000 already set aside in the county’s 2026 budget for eviction prevention work. Commissioners Erica Anderson and Gene Dorsey voted no. For now, the county is not creating a permanent right-to-counsel system. Instead, it is trying to test whether a narrower, time-limited model can keep renters housed and inform a bigger decision later.

Under the pilot, a selected nonprofit legal provider would screen tenants for eligibility and decide what level of help fits each case. That could mean brief advice, limited-scope representation, full legal representation or referrals to rental assistance and mediation. The Douglas County District Court Self Help Center at the courthouse on 1100 Massachusetts St. would serve as a primary referral hub, linking renters into the program and helping direct cases toward the right service.

County leaders plan to judge the pilot by outcomes, not just caseload. The provider would be expected to track records and report back on whether cases were dismissed, resolved through agreements or ended with tenants having to move out. Commissioners would then use those results to decide whether to expand the program, renew it or replace it with a more permanent model.

Douglas County staff said the pilot was shaped in part by Topeka’s eviction defense program, administered by Kansas Legal Services. From May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025, that program provided advice to 92 tenants, limited-scope representation to 17 and full representation to 10. As of March 2025, 34 cases had been dismissed. The Topeka contract totaled $84,137 and funded an attorney and paralegal.

The county also reviewed Johnson County’s mandatory eviction mediation program and work by Building Peace as it considered how mediation, tenant education and court-based referrals could reduce displacement. Staff said they met with Kansas Holistic Defenders, Kansas Legal Services, the City of Lawrence, the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, Johnson County and the City of Topeka while developing the plan.

Lawrence Tenants had pushed for a broader right-to-counsel ordinance covering all tenants regardless of income, and supporters tied the proposal to the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan and anti-poverty goals. After more than two hours of public comment, with landlords and advocates both weighing in, the county chose a smaller test. The real question now is whether a pilot sized for 80 residents can keep up with the need.