Legal Aid Center offers pop-up clinics to help tenants respond to eviction notices
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The CDC’s eviction moratorium is extended through June. But, tenants and landlords in the Las Vegas valley are still facing the threat of evictions and the process that follows it.
The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada is using pop-up clinics to lend a helping hand.
“There has definitely been a rise in the stress level since the state moratorium ended and a lot of confusion. Not only from tenants but from landlords too,” said Jim Berchtold, directing attorney, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.
And the center wants to meet tenants and landlords where they are. Clinics are now popping up at a number of Las Vegas-Clark County libraries, with lawyers and volunteers to provide free help to those who need it.
Marco Guerra, a legal advocate with the Civil Law Self Help Center, sat down with tenants Saturday.
“With the moratorium ending the end of June. They’re definitely worried and they’re trying to figure out either how to buy more time or what their options are,” Guerra said.
First, if you have been given an eviction notice, the Berchtold stresses. “You have to take action if you receive a notice. You have to file.”
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If you don’t, Berchtold said the eviction could be granted automatically. He believes answering a notice is easy.
You can do it online and volunteers at the pop-up clinics can walk you through it. Over the phone with help from their eviction prevention hotline. Or in person at the self-help center downtown. The regional justice court just expanded its hours to open on Fridays.
However, Berchtold said the challenge has been linking tenants and landlords to housing assistance dollars.
“There is 360 million dollars of rental assistance in Nevada available to tenants and landlords right now. It would be a travesty if people were actually getting evicted while there is this pot of money there to prevent that,” Berchtold said.
And just yesterday, Governor Steve Sisolak signed AB 486, to marry the eviction process with CHAP funds every step of the way.
“If the application is denied then the eviction will go forward but the tenant will then go to mediation and have another opportunity to try and link with CHAP, work something out with the landlord,” Berchtold said.
Free resources are available, people just need to ask for them.
“We’re really, really hopeful that when July rolls around and the CDC moratorium is gone, we will be fine. Our goal is to get that money into the hands of landlords and prevent evictions,” Berchtold said.
The next pop-up clinic is Saturday June 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For locations and more information, click here.
