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A
So
today
is
the
product
of
a
whole
lot
of
work
from
the
people
up
here
with
me,
our
staff
and
our
leading
law
firms.
So
the
law
firms
that
have
already
committed
to
this
initiative
of
more
representation
Minneapolis
include
Barnes
and
Thornburgh
Dorsey
and
Whitney
vagary
Baker
Daniel's
Frederickson
and
Byron
Jones
de
Mikkel
strim,
far
gionee
Landy,
rora
Vig
and
Aiken
merchants,
and
Gould
Robbins,
Kaplan,
Anthony,
auslan
bear
and
Lou
AG
great
plant
moody,
Lou
AG.
Excuse
me
great
plant,
Moody,
Stinson
and
Leonard
and
Maslin
LLP.
A
A
And
so
most
of
you
have
heard
me
say
this
before,
but
we
are
in
the
midst
of
an
affordable
housing
crisis,
but
our
response
to
the
crisis
must
go
beyond
increasing
access
to
affordable
housing
for
those
that
lack
it.
We
have
to
do
more
to
protect
those
at
risk
of
losing
it
and
our
housing
needs
to
extend
to
the
people
who
currently
live
and
pay
rent
in
Minneapolis.
So
first,
let's
start
with
some
of
the
statistics
which
to
me
really
help
underscore
why
we
need
to
step
up
our
game
when
it
comes
to
the
courts.
A
According
to
a
study
conducted
by
our
innovative
in
our
innovation
team,
there
are
about
3,000
tenant
evictions
filed
every
single
year,
3,000
tenant
evictions
filed
every
single
year,
and
we
know
that
those
evictions
disproportionately
impact
people
living
in
low-income
and
minority
neighborhoods.
Over
three
years,
evictions
were
filed
against
nearly
half
of
renter
households
in
North,
Minneapolis
evictions
were
filed
for
over
half
of
our
renter
households
in
North
Minneapolis.
We
also
know
that
people
facing
eviction
aren't
on
a
level
playing
field
with
landlords.
A
In
fact,
fewer
than
10%
of
tenants
evictions
have
attorneys
by
their
side,
put
a
different
way.
90%
of
the
evictions
that
happen
in
our
city
do
not
have
attorneys
assisting
the
tenants
by
the
way
80%
of
those
evictions
are
facing
them
for
the
very
first
time.
A
whole
lot
of
those
tenants
have
limited
English
language
proficiency
and
lack
the
ability
to
explain
their
available
legal
defenses.
In
some
cases
they
are
quite
literally
denied
a
voice.
Preventing
evictions
and
displacement
is
the
right
thing
to
do.
A
It's
also
the
fiscally
responsible
path
for
the
city
and
for
our
taxpayers.
Studies
show
that
other
legal
resources
and
services
are
strained
by
the
instability
that
comes
with
eviction.
New
York
City
estimates
that
every
dollar
that
they
spent
on
legal
services
to
prevent
eviction
generates
about
five
to
six
dollars
in
savings.
Every
$1
bent
on
assistance
in
legal
services
generates
five
to
six
dollars
in
savings.
A
Massachusetts
study
by
the
way
found
a
very
similar
statistic.
A
So
that's
more
on
the
macro
case,
and
we
know
that
evictions
have
a
profound
and
lasting
impact
on
families
and
the
individual.
Having
just
one
eviction
on
your
record.
Can
make
it
nearly
impossible
to
find
stable
and
safe
housing
again
and
I
know
that
council,
president
working
in
conjunction
with
Jeremiah
Ellison,
are
presently
working
on
several
initiatives
to
go
through
the
council
for
tenant
protections
as
well,
and
we
thank
them
being
evicted
has
also
been
linked
to
depression.
A
Poor
health
and
higher
levels
of
stress
side,
effects
of
which
can
persist
for
years.
Representation
in
those
critical
moments
can
help
more
people
avoid
that
outcome.
Studies
also
show
that
low-income
tenants,
represented
by
legal
aid
attorneys,
are
significantly
more
likely
to
prevail
in
housing
court
and
secure
settlements
than
those
who
appear
in
court
with
no
representation.
A
When
you
talk
to
people
like
Gena
here
with
us
today,
it
quickly
becomes
apparent
what
a
world
of
difference
representation
can
make.
That's
what
more
representation
Minneapolis
is
all
about
when
legal
aid
and
volunteer
lawyers
Network
approached
my
office
earlier
this
year,
I
was
committed
to
having
the
city
take
in
a
more
active
role.
A
So
first
I
proposed
150,000
in
my
2019
budget
for
a
new
eviction
representation
pilot
which
will
fund
legal
services
for
low-income
renters
facing
imminent
displacement
from
their
housing,
and
that's
a
good
start,
but
it
was
clear
that
we
need
to
do
more.
A
full
rollout
of
that
pilot
would
cost
about.
1.5
million
dollars
would
have
about
10
to
11
attorneys
associated
with
it,
as
well
as
about
five
to
six
additional
staff.
So
what
we
tried
to
tackle
is
knowing
firsthand
the
power
of
volunteer
housing
work.
I
thought
we
should
do
more,
and
so
we
collaborated.
A
So
again,
that's
25
additional
volunteer
lawyers,
increasing
yearly
eviction,
defense
hours
by
20%,
that's
a
staggering
figure.
So
that's
a
call
to
action,
and
if
your
attorney
out
there
who's
listening
or
reading
this,
please
get
please
sign
on
and
help
us
out.
That
level
of
commitment
would
bring
their
total
number
of
volunteer
housing
attorneys
in
2019
to
310
and
their
total
number
of
volunteer
hours
for
housing
work
to
two
thousand
three
hundred.
A
So
thank
you
so
much
to
legal
aid
and
to
vln
for
your
partnership,
a
big
thank
you
to
all
the
law
firms
for
stepping
up
to
the
plate.
I
want
to
thank
councilmember,
Jeremy
Schrader
as
well
for
joining
us
Thank
You
councilmember
did
I
miss
out
the
council
members
by
the
way
and
they're
here
so
they're
gonna
be
doing
a
more
full
representation.
A
Housing
work,
which
Tom
and
Luke
will
tell
you
more
about
here
shortly,
but
here's
the
bottom
line
we
have
made
and
are
making
protecting
tenants
rights
a
cornerstone
of
an
affordable
housing
agenda
here
at
the
city.
More
representation
in
Minneapolis
is
a
big
step
towards
making
good
on
that
promise
and
I'm
so
excited
to
be
embarking
on
this
journey.
Together
with
that
I'm
going
to
turn
things
over
to
Tom
Walsh,
the
executive
director
of
volunteer
lawyers
Network
Tom,
thanks
so
much
for
being
here
today
and
for
your
work.
Making
this
initiative
possible.
B
Well,
thank
you.
Thank
You
mayor
I'm,
very
proud
to
be
here
today
and
a
little
bit
humbled
looking
at
the
our
partners
and
justice
in
the
room.
With
the
initiative
announced
today,
the
Twin
Cities
legal
community
recommit
s--
itself
to
a
fair,
equitable
and
just
legal
system,
a
system
where
everyone
has
equal
access
to
protect
to
the
protections
and
privileges
provided
by
the
law,
regardless
of
their
income
or
ability
to
pay
for
decades.
A
volunteer
lawyers
network,
our
volunteers
and
our
partner
law
firms
have
been
working
to
achieve
this
vision.
During
that
time.
B
Problem
and
lawyers
have
helped
more
than
10,000.
Members
of
this
community
pursue
justice
through
the
core.
Every
day
at
Hennepin,
County
housing,
court,
volunteer,
attorneys,
help
clients
facing
stressful
situations
and
stressful
and
potentially
life-altering
situations,
navigate
the
court
system
and
exercise
their
legal
rights.
A
commitment
of
funding
from
the
city
and
the
commitment
of
participation
by
our
law,
firm
partners
will
result
in
more
families
having
access
to
an
attorney
before
going
to
court,
and
we
cannot
ignore
the
realities
of
poverty
in
our
city
and
state.
B
Nearly
80
percent
of
our
clients
are
people
of
color
and
we
disproportionately
deal
with
problem
actors
who
operate
in
neighborhoods
deeply
affected
by
poverty.
This
is
exploitation
of
the
worst
kind,
along
with
the
other
equal
housing
initiatives.
The
city
of
Minneapolis,
pursuing
free
legal
services
are
powerful
tools
for
increasing
equity
in
our
city,
safe
and
stable
housing.
Our
stable
are
essential
for
families,
children
and
communities
to
thrive
in
today's
tight
housing
market
and
eviction
can
quickly
send
the
family
into
a
downward
spiral.
B
The
services
provided
by
our
volunteers
and
our
partners
and
colleagues
at
legal
aid
can
make
a
make
the
difference
between
a
family
staying
in
their
home
or
facing
the
prospect
of
saying
in
a
shelter
or
being
out
on
the
street.
We
are
proud
to
continue
the
tradition
of
volunteerism
and
community
engagement
within
the
legal
community
that
helps
make
Minnesota
in
Minneapolis
the
place
we
love
to
call
home.
Thank
you.
C
Thank
You
mayor
Frey,
thanks
for
having
us
thanks
for
putting
this
on.
We
really
appreciate
this.
This
has
been
a
long
time
coming
across
the
plaza
right
now,
as
we
speak
in
housing
court,
there
are
40
families
at
least
facing
eviction.
This
is
the
thing
that
happens
three
times
a
week
every
single
week
of
every
year.
These
are
real
people
who
are
really
being
impacted
by
a
crisis
that
we
have
it's
an
eviction
crisis,
it's
related
to
the
affordable
housing
crisis.
The
two
are
connected,
but
it
an
eviction
crisis
people
have
nowhere
to
go.
C
We
have
a
vacancy
rate
right
now
of
less
than
2%
in
this
city.
If
you
have
an
eviction
on
your
record,
it's
a
lot
harder
than
that
to
find
housing.
It
is
almost
impossible.
So
the
folks
over
there
who
are
facing
eviction
and
have
very
few
attorneys
or
anyone
to
help
them.
They
don't
have
a
place
to
go
once
they
leave
with
an
eviction
on
their
record,
it's
extremely
difficult
to
find
other
housing.
We've
heard
some
of
the
statistics.
Already
80%
of
the
people
we
represent
are
people
of
color.
C
85%
of
those
folks
are
families
with
children.
This
is
an
eviction
crisis
as
disparately
impacts,
people
who
women
of
color,
who
have
children
and
are
trying
to
make
a
go
of
it.
This
is
these
are
real
people
who
are
suffering
there
are
laws
that
currently
exist.
Minnesota
is
better
than
some
worse
than
others,
but
we
have
laws
on
the
books
at
the
Statehouse
in
the
state
legislature.
There
are
laws
that
are
currently
being
written
by
council
president
bender
council
member
Ellison
councilman
trader.
These
are
things
that
the
city
of
Minneapolis
can
do.
C
The
state
of
Minnesota
can
do
to
strengthen
our
laws,
but
we
already
have
some
of
those
laws.
The
disconnect
is
that
we
can't
use
the
laws
that
tenants
are
expected
right
now
in
our
justice
system
to
somehow
take
the
laws
that
exist
and
translate
them
into
a
success
at
court.
They
have
bare
minutes
to
do
that.
C
There's
one
referee
over
there
who's
hearing
all
40
of
those
cases
right
now,
as
we
speak,
each
person
each
family
gets
it
just
a
couple
of
minutes
to
try
to
tell
the
court
tell
the
judge
the
referee
why
they
shouldn't
be
evicted,
why
those
laws
that
are
written
for
their
protection
or
not
have
not
been
complied
with
by
the
landlords
who
are
trying
to
evict
them.
This
isn't
just
an
eviction
crisis.
This
isn't
just
an
affordable
housing
crisis.
C
This
is
a
deprivation
of
constitutional
rights
to
say
to
a
person
that
you
have
these
laws
and
you
have
these
protections,
but
you
can't
actually
use
them.
That's
a
that's
a
mouse
to
a
deprivation
of
something
that
the
Constitution
itself
protects
and,
as
we
already
heard,
lawyers
can
really
help
the
cases
that
we
take.
96%
of
them
are
either
settled
or
resolved
in
the
tenants
favor
most
of
them.
Most
tenants
that
are
represented
do
not
have
an
eviction
on
the
record
when
they
leave
courts.
C
The
vast
majority,
in
fact,
have
no
eviction
record
when
they
walk
out
of
that
courtroom.
That's
huge
I
mean
that's
an
extremely
useful
thing
to
find
a
housing
going
forward.
So
thank
you
for
this.
This
is
a
this
bid.
It's
been
a
foundation
of
a
partnership.
That's
a
long
time
coming.
We've
had
a
housing
court
project
at
the
courthouse
since
the
year
2000,
it's
been
a
partnership
between
a
volunteer
lawyers,
Network
and
legal
aid.
That's
a
extremely
valuable
and
somewhat
rare
thing.
C
There's
lots
of
communities
around
the
country
are
thinking
about
this
right
to
counsel
movement
or
about
how
to
get
more
tenants
representation,
but
this
is
what
we
have
as
an
asset
is
the
fact
that
this
has
been
a
partnership.
That's
been
there
already
for
a
long
time.
It's
a
foundation
that
I
think
we
can
build
from
I.
Think
that's
what
we're
here
to
do
today.
We
hope
that
others
will
join
and
that
as
a
United
community,
we
say
more
tenants
for
lawyers
equals
better
results
for
everybody
and
for
society.
C
The
Poulet
Family
Foundation
is
here
too.
Today
they
have
been
generous
in
this
cause
and
they
believe
in
this
cause.
Hennepin
County
has
contributed
the
cause,
particularly
commissioner,
Marion
green
has
also
been
extremely
useful
in
terms
of
trying
to
advance
the
cause
of
of
getting
more
tenants.
Lawyers
in
housing
court,
so
I
think
if
we
all
work
together,
we're
all
here
to
do
that,
we
won't
forget
the
actual
people
involved,
the
families
we're
at
court
and
we'll
try
to
get
better
results
for
everyone.
Thank
you.
A
Thank
you
Luke
and
I'll
note
that
not
only
is
this
the
right
thing
to
do.
Not
only
is
it
fiscally
responsible,
it's
also
an
excellent
opportunity
for
young
lawyers
to
get
trial
experience.
The
very
first
trial
that
I
had
as
a
young
lawyer,
was
in
representing
a
tenant
in
an
eviction
case,
and
probably
through
very
little
due
to
my
own
work.
A
We
won
the
case
and,
and
it
was
because
it's
helpful
just
to
have
somebody
there
that
understands
the
basic
defenses
and
to
be
able
to
put
the
facts
into
those
legal
structures
and
so
Thank
You
Luke.
Next
Clint
Connor
is
a
partner
at
Dorsey.
Whitney
he's
done
a
good
probe.
He's
done
good
pro
bono
work
at
Hennepin,
County
housing
court
and
he's
going
to
talk
a
bit
about
the
work
he's
done
and
the
impact
that
volunteer
work
can
make.
D
Thank
You
mayor
Frey,
I'm
honored,
to
be
here
really
appreciate
your
efforts
and
I
think
it's
something
the
city
drastically
needs
and
I'm
very
honored
to
be
here
and
on
behalf
of
Dorothy
and
Whitney.
My
name
is
Clint
Conner
I'm,
a
partner
at
Dorsey
and
Whitney
in
the
Minneapolis
office.
Here,
I've
practiced
law
for
14
years
I'm,
an
intellectual
property
lawyer
I
also
do
some
work
in
our
cyberspace
and
data
privacy
practice
group.
D
So
what
I
focus
on
is
patent
litigation
in
federal
district
courts
which
are
disputes
over
inventions.
I've
got
a
wife
three
girls
who
are
proud,
Minneapolis
public
school
students
and,
in
addition
to
the
work
I
do
for
money.
I
also
do
volunteer
work
at
the
housing
court
in
Hennepin
County.
So
how
this
typically
works
is
we
will
see
tenants
will
usually
work
with
a
tenant
for
ten
minutes,
maybe
half
an
hour
and
then
the
tenant
will
go
off
on
their
own
and
implement
our
ideas
and
suggestions
on
a
pro
se
basis.
D
We
have
these
two,
our
housing
clinic
shifts
and
at
any
shift.
There
are
many
tenants
looking
for
legal
advice,
and
many
of
their
stories
are
heartbreaking.
We
just
don't
have
the
resources
to
provide
what
we
call
full
representation
to
all
of
those
tenants.
However,
there
are
certain
instances
where
a
tenant
will
come
to
us
with
a
problem,
a
big
problem
and
really
anything
short
of
full
representation.
Just
won't
do,
and
so,
when
I
identify
one
of
those
situations,
we
will
engage
the
tenant
in
a
full
engagement
agreement
on
a
pro
bono
basis.
D
After
you
know,
I'm
able
to
determine
I
can
kind
of
clear
my
schedule
out
to
deal
with
it
and
then
also
after
we
clear
conflicts
at
my
law
firm,
so
examples
of
full
representation
cases.
I've
taken
include
one
for
an
upstanding
african-american
man
who
was
falsely
accused
of
assault
of
someone
from
the
management
office
at
his
apartment,
complex
he's
working,
two
jobs
waiting
in
the
lobby
of
his
apartment
at
5:00
a.m.
for
his
ride
to
work
and
something
happened,
but
it
surely
wasn't
assault.
So
we
took
that
case
to
trial.
D
The
court
threw
out
the
case
complete
defense,
victory
and
expunged
the
matter,
but
you
can
imagine
if
that
was
on
somebody's
record
at
the
age
of
26,
what
that
would
mean
for
their
life
going
forward.
In
another
case,
I
represented
a
section
8
tenant
in
what's
called
an
emergency
tenant
remedies
act
and
in
that
matter
the
tenants
landlord
refused
to
put
the
tenant
and
her
eight-year-old
asthmatic
son
in
alternative
housing.
D
In
that
case,
we
also
were
able
to
preserve
the
right
of
the
tenant
to
bring
a
potential
future
action
for
health
concerns
caused
by
the
mold
and
again,
her
son
was
asthmatic
at
8.
We
also
represented
a
tenant
in
situation
after
trial.
We
got
a
court
order
that
awarded
a
very
large
rent
abatement
award
due
to
extreme
mold
in
the
apartment
and
the
fact
that
the
landlord
had
no
license
to
rent.
D
In
that
case,
we
also
got
attorneys
fees
and,
on
a
related
note,
we
recently
had
a
team
at
Dorsey
and
Whitney
that
drafted
and
filed
an
amicus
brief
to
the
Minnesota
Supreme
Court
in
a
housing
case
in
which
we
are
making
the
argument
that
Minnesota
law
recognizes
that
retaliation
defense
in
breach
of
lease
fiction
cases.
So
this
work
is
so
important.
It's
so
important
for
me,
and
the
reason
is
so
important
for
me
is
that
it's
so
important
to
people.
D
We
see
many
people
who
are
on
the
razor's
edge
between
a
warm
home
and
homelessness,
and
you
know
I've
seen
so
many
who
really
are
in
what
I
think
are
no-win
situations.
You
know
people
that
are
struggling
just
to
get
to
work.
They
get
to
work.
The
work
doesn't
provide
enough
to
pay
the
bills,
keep
the
heat
on
or
even
live
in,
substandard
housing.
D
A
E
Hi,
thank
you
for
having
me
my
name
is
Gina.
Robinson
I
have
lived
in
Minneapolis
for
more
than
30
years.
I'm,
not
a
lawyer,
but
I
have
had
to
represent
myself
in
court.
It
was
terrifying,
particularly
when
the
other
side
is
represented
by
a
lawyer,
and
it
was
exhausting
financially
physically
and
emotionally,
and
it
didn't
go
well
for
me.
My
case
was
ultimately
decided
in
the
favor
of
my
landlord
and
the
facts
of
the
litigation
had
made
it
very
difficult
for
me
to
find
and
obtain
stable
housing.
E
I
am
a
mother,
a
grandmother,
a
sister
aunt
friend
and
neighbor
I've
worked
at
law
firms,
I
put
children
through
school
and
struggle
through
health
issues.
I
have
started
volunteering
with
volunteer
lawyers,
Network
myself,
because
I
understand
the
importance
of
assisting
people
who
could
not
otherwise
afford
a
lawyer.
Providing
tenants
with
a
lawyer
not
only
makes
our
legal
system
more
fair
and
provides
a
better
outcome
for
tenants,
but
also
lessens
feelings
of
hopelessness
and
despair
and
decreases
the
burden
of
those
who
already
carry
heavy
burdens.
E
I'm
grateful
to
the
volunteers
that
volunteer
Lauren
network
and
pleased
that
they
are
working
together
with
Mayor
Frye,
to
increase
the
amount
of
lawyers
available
to
represent
tenants
and
evictions
and
repair
cases.
I
believe
full
representation
would
have
made
a
difference
in
my
case
and
I'd
like
to
help
others
avoid
the
situation
I
had
to
endure
Thank
You
mayor
Frey.
E
A
Thank
You
Gina,
and
thank
you
for
your
work
again.
I
want
to
thank
all
of
the
partners
here
that
are
with
us
today
and
again.
I
encourage
all
Twin
Cities
law
firms
interested
in
being
part
of
this
initiative
to
get
in
touch
with
vln
by
contacting
Mariah
Krueger,
the
Housing
Resource
attorney
and
program
manager
at
volunteer
lawyers.
Network
arrive
if
you
could
raise
your
hand
as
well
she's,
actually
done
a
ton
of
work
as
well
getting
this
set
up
and
if
we
go
give
her
a
round
of
applause
as
well.
Thank
you.