The Atlanta City Council last month approved a measure that paves the way for the city’s public defender office to help prevent evictions, but without proper funding, it’s not enough to prevent the displacement of many city residents affected by the pandemic.
The ordinance, authored by City Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, authorizes the Atlanta Public Defender’s Office, which represents people facing criminal charges, to partner with and donate money or services to legal nonprofits that handle eviction defense–but how that would work remains unclear.
