30 Years of PLA: Helping Our Neighbors Facing Eviction
For 30 years, Philadelphia Legal Assistance has worked to help Philadelphians when they need it most. When the City launched the Eviction Diversion Program during the COVID-19 crisis, PLA was there from the start: helping build the program and continuing to expand its reach and impact.
Philadelphia’s Eviction Diversion Program (EDP) changed the path to eviction. Instead of immediately filing a case in court, landlords now must first participate in a 30-day good faith process designed to resolve disputes earlier. That process may include mediation, financial assistance, or direct negotiation.
The goal is simple. Keep people housed by creating space for communication and solutions before a crisis reaches the courtroom.
For many tenants, this process includes one-on-one guidance from housing counselors, legal advice from PLA, and financial assistance that can cover rent arrears and help stabilize their housing.
Without Eviction Diversion, cases move quickly through Philadelphia Municipal Court. Tenants may receive late or inadequate notice, face a court date soon after, and risk eviction within weeks. Most landlords have attorneys, while most tenants do not. The system is built for speed, not for problem solving. Eviction diversion interrupts that cycle and gives tenants a real chance to stay in their homes.
From the very beginning, the City turned to Philadelphia Legal Assistance to help make eviction diversion work. PLA operates the Eviction Diversion Hotline, which serves as the front door for tenants navigating the program. Each year, a dedicated team of paralegals answers more than 12,000 to 13,000 calls from tenants seeking help.
Through the hotline, PLA helps tenants:
- Understand how the program works
- Confirm and maintain their participation
- Connect with housing counselors and mediation
- Access legal advice and representation
- Navigate issues with financial assistance
- Prepare to negotiate with their landlords
Over the past year alone, PLA provided legal advice or representation to more than 1,300 tenants. Its advocates negotiated directly with landlords during EDP mediation and stepped in to represent tenants in court when necessary.
This work builds on decades of experience, including nearly twenty years operating the Save Your Home Philly Hotline and supporting foreclosure diversion efforts. PLA did not just join this work. We helped define how it operates.
Through this work, PLA identified a critical gap in the program. Tenants who are not eligible for mediation are often expected to navigate conversations with their landlords on their own. These tenants are assigned to the version of the program that the City calls the “Direct Negotiation Pathway”. Many lacked the information, support, and confidence needed to reach successful agreements. At the same time, they were not eligible for financial assistance. We saw that these tenants were at risk of falling through the cracks.
In response, PLA created a pilot initiative focused on education and practical tools. Through online workshops hosted by PLA advocates, tenants learned how to understand their rights, develop proposals, and negotiate effectively. The results speak for themselves. More than 80 percent of participants reported a stronger understanding of negotiation. Nearly two thirds reached agreements that helped them remain in their homes.
Now, we are building on that success. With new support, PLA is expanding its services for tenants in the Direct Negotiation Pathway. This expansion will allow PLA to:
- Provide education and workshops to more tenants
- Offer individualized legal advice at a larger scale
- Step in with direct representation when needed
- Help tenants connect to financial assistance programs
- Support tenants when negotiations break down and cases move to court
This work will significantly expand PLA’s reach and ensure that more tenants have meaningful support, no matter which version of the program they are placed in.
Philadelphia’s Eviction diversion has become a national model for preventing displacement. In Philadelphia, its success is deeply connected to the work of Philadelphia Legal Assistance.
As PLA marks its 30th anniversary, this moment is about continuing to strengthen systems that keep people housed, informed, and empowered. Eviction Diversion gives people the tools, support, and advocacy they need to stay in their homes.
