HOUSING JUSTICE PROJECT

EVICTION DEFENSE
EVICTION PREVENTION
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK.

The Housing Justice Project’s Appointed Counsel Team represents tenants in eviction hearings. If you are low income and have been served with a Summons and Complaint for Unlawful Detainer (Eviction), contact HJP right away. If you have a show cause hearing scheduled, COME TO YOUR HEARING so our Appointed Counsel attorneys will have a chance to provide you representation.

HJP’s HELP Team (Homeless & Eviction Legal Prevention) provides tenants help with eviction notices, installment plans for move-in costs, move-out issues, deposits, repairs, disputes, habitability, discrimination, illegal lockouts, utility shutoffs, past evictions, criminal history/legal financial obligations on your record and more. The HELP Team also conducts community outreach and education and works with community partners to remove barriers to becoming housed and staying housed.

CONTACT the hjp team

If you have received an eviction summons and complaint, a notice from your landlord or need free help with other housing issues, please use our online intake form, call (253) 572-5134 between 10-noon or 1-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday, or walk in to our office for an in-person intake at 601 Tacoma Ave S between 9-noon or 1-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. This is a busy time. If you have contacted us, have not heard back and are facing an emergency, please contact us again.

is an eviction or legal financial obligation on your record preventing you from finding housing?

Are you currently unhoused, able to pay rent but unable to find a place because you have an eviction, legal financial obligation or criminal conviction on your record? HJP can help you – please contact us.

IN-PERSON HELP

Lakewood Residents – HJP will be available in person every Thursday, 9-12, at Lakewood City Hall

THE HOUSING JUSTICE PROJECT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT TACOMA AND PIERCE COUNTY DURING 2023.

PLEASE SEE THE EVENTS CALENDAR ON OUR HOME PAGE FOR OUR 2023 SCHECULE


IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR LANDLORDS & TENANTS

The Pierce County Eviction Prevention program application portal is open. See link below for access.

We encourage tenants who owe rent to STAY IN YOUR HOME and contact the Housing Justice Project if you receive a 14-day or 30-day pay or vacate notice.  

The notice does not mean that you will be evicted in 14 days or 30 days, or that you must accept any payment plan offered, only that you need to respond within that time frame. Talk to your landlord, work on finding resources to pay your rent, and do not leave. You cannot be evicted without a court order.

Landlords are required to state a reason for filing an eviction and give proper notice depending on the reason for the eviction.
This is called JUST CAUSE. 
NO TENANT CAN BE EVICTED WITHOUT A COURT ORDER!

Although our HJP team cannot represent landlords or answer questions about specific cases, if you are a housing provider and need help understanding the new laws, we can be a resource for you. 

APPOINTED COUNSEL
As of July 1, 2021, if you are low-income and facing an eviction hearing, you will be eligible for free attorney representation in your eviction case by our Housing Justice Project Appointed Counsel Team. IF YOU HAVE AN EVICTION HEARING BUT HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED HJP, PLEASE SHOW UP TO YOUR HEARING SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT YOU.