In Dallas, Texas, the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center (DEAC) fights to protect vulnerable tenants facing eviction, offering free legal services to those at risk of losing their homes. The center, which handles an overwhelming number of cases each month, is one of a kind in the country, providing crucial support for tenants in a city where eviction rates remain high.
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Legal Assistance at the Courthouse
Each day, as Dallas courtrooms fill with tenants facing eviction, lawyers from DEAC are on hand to assist those at risk. These brief moments before a judge enters are vital, allowing DEAC lawyers to review cases, ask crucial questions, and spot legal errors in eviction filings. They quickly craft defense strategies for vulnerable tenants, offering them a chance to stay in their homes.
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Barriers to Accessing Legal Aid
Though DEAC regularly sends out notifications to tenants, only about 4-5% respond, mainly due to a lack of legal knowledge, mistrust of lawyers, or missing documents. This leaves many tenants unaware of the support available to them until they’re in the courtroom, where DEAC lawyers actively step in to offer free representation.
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Reasons Behind Evictions
Nonpayment is the most common cause of eviction in Dallas, often due to unforeseen circumstances like job loss, illness, or family emergencies. Bill Holston, DEAC’s executive director, emphasizes that rising rents and stagnating wages exacerbate the issue, and the court’s focus is narrowly on whether rent was paid, disregarding tenants’ circumstances or property conditions.
DEAC’s Role in Resistance
DEAC’s work goes beyond legal defense; they view it as a form of organized resistance. By working within the legal framework, they challenge systemic inequalities in Texas’s housing laws. Holston describes the DEAC lawyers as “shield lawyers,” using procedural tools to protect tenants from displacement and preserve their dignity.
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Heavy Caseload for Lawyers
With a small team of eight lawyers and 10 assistants, DEAC handles hundreds of eviction cases each month. Some assistants juggle as many as 300 cases in a week, while others handle up to 40. Their success rate in preventing evictions is impressive, but they continue to face a growing number of cases, with eviction rates in Dallas averaging 135 per day.
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Addressing Racial and Economic Disparities
DEAC’s clients are predominantly Black, single mothers, with the center providing vital support for those impacted by racial and economic inequalities in housing. Holston links the lack of affordable housing to systemic issues such as residential segregation, educational disparities, and the wealth gap between white and minority communities, urging a broader societal reckoning with these racial injustices.
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Strategic Saturation of Eviction Courts
DEAC’s strategy involves being present at every eviction court in the county, ensuring landlords strictly adhere to legal requirements. Despite this continuous effort, Dallas still faces alarmingly high eviction rates. Texas, one of the least tenant-friendly states, lacks strong tenant protections, leaving DEAC’s work crucial in fighting for tenant rights.
