Yesterday, we had over 120 people with our lead sponsors at La Colaborativa's beautiful space to celebrate the passing of a statewide Access to Counsel pilot program! Thank you all who were able to be in the room, we know that others were there in spirit. After nearly a decade of advocacy to ensure that low income tenants and owner occupants have legal representation when facing eviction, the Governor and the House and Senate supported a dedicated line item in the FY25 budget to create an ATC pilot program. Amidst a national housing crisis, it is so crucial that tenants facing evictions be represented, a factor that has proven to decrease housing instability and homelessness. Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations who have provided support along the way, with a huge thank you to our lead sponsors, Sen. Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Dave Rogers, and Rep. Mike Day. This feat would not have been possible without your continued support. We are also deeply grateful to the Access to Counsel Advisory Committee, for years of planning and strategizing, all of the community members who have shown up to the statehouse and shared their stories, and to Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, who is going to assist with the implementation of this program. We have worked so hard to get here, but the fight is not over! Now our mission is to preserve this line item and pass the Access to Counsel bill to ensure Access to Counsel is permanent for MA residents.
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