![]() ![]() ![]() He said the program’s goals include mediating eviction disputes before they make it to court and educating both landlords and tenants on how the justice system works around evictions. Most tenants and landlords are trying to do the right thing, he said, but don’t understand the legal system very well. Walker said its existence is a recognition of the pervasiveness of homelessness across the state - and the courts’ role to assist. ![]() The eviction diversion program launched in March. Walker said landlords are more likely to rent to an applicant without a record of eviction, and that the record could even be a barrier to accessing certain public housing benefits. “A lot of landlords are unwilling to rent to tenants with an eviction on their record, or at least it poses a barrier,” he said. And Will Walker, a staff attorney who runs the Alaska Court System’s eviction diversion program, said it can help solve eviction disputes before they reach the courtroom and connect people who must leave their housing with resources. It’s also prompting Alaska’s court system and social service agencies to consider new ways to ease that pressure for tenants - and landlords, who are also experiencing a financial crunch.Ī court-ordered eviction can live on someone’s record forever, which can reduce their chances of finding stable housing. This has put pressure on the lives of many tenants eviction can lead to instability or homelessness. Meanwhile, the cost of goods, home prices and the cost of rent have risen statewide. He said his landlord was understanding, and waited on eviction proceedings when they heard he was working on a solution.Įviction cases in Alaska are returning to pre-pandemic levels as COVID-19-era eviction moratoriums and rental assistance programs end. Lopez called a few names on the list of resources and was eventually connected with the Alaska court system’s eviction diversion program, which is new this year. But this year, he said his rent leapt from $995 to about $1,260 - a more than 25% increase - while his wages in the meat department in a local supermarket didn’t go up at all. He has lived in the same apartment in the Muldoon area of Anchorage for four years, with his wife, his 12-year-old daughter and now his 5-month-old son, who just started teething. “The cost of food here in Anchorage, from a year ago to now, literally almost doubled on a lot of the stuff we get.” “It’s been really tough with inflation and everything,” he said. He was behind on rent by about $900 and was a couple weeks out from a paycheck. When Raven Tulugak Lopez got an eviction notice on his door, it came with another piece of paper that listed resources to help avoid eviction. The Dimond Courthouse building, home to the Juneau offices of the Alaska Department of Law, is seen across the street from the Alaska State Capitol on Friday, May 27, 2022. ![]()
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