Crowley signs bill providing free legal representation to people facing eviction

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The threat of eviction has been an issue throughout the Covid pandemic because so many people lost their sources of income.

On Monday, July 19, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley addressed that issue by signing a bill that establishes the right to counsel -- free legal representation for people facing eviction or foreclosure from their homes.

"Housing is health," said Nicole Angresano of United Way. "The more people that have safe and stable homes, the better educational outcomes we'll have, the better financial outcomes we'll have. We know that preventing eviction is key to this."

Right to Counsel is an addition to the county's other strategies for keeping people in their homes. 

Through federal funds, the county says it has saved more than 8,500 families from eviction.