California high court working group calls for tenant right to counsel

In 2020, Supreme Court of California Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye created a Work Group on Homelessness, and that workgroup has released its report.  The first recommendation is:

• The Judicial Council should encourage and support legislative efforts to create and fund a statewide program that provides full-scope legal representation in residential unlawful detainer proceedings for all litigants who are unable to afford counsel.

• The Judicial Council should work with the executive and legislative branches and other judicial partners and affected stakeholders to ensure that the statewide program is workable for all parties and does what it is intended to do.

The report cites the connection between eviction and homelessness, the disparate impact on renters of color, and the effectiveness of the Shriver representation projects.