photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

Douglas County commissioners will consider how the new tenant eviction defense pilot will work and whether to solicit proposals from legal service providers on Wednesday.

The tenant eviction pilot program is aiming to provide access to free legal eviction defense services to eligible tenants in Douglas County. The goal is to assist participants in stabilizing their current housing, prevent homelessness and promote access to clean and safe housing. The pilot will run from June 1 through December 31, 2026.

County officials are planning to contract with a qualified nonprofit legal service provider to administer the program, offering both legal advice and full representation to tenants as they navigate eviction proceedings.

The selected provider will determine eligibility and what level of legal support is appropriate, whether that be brief consultation, full representation, or referral to other community resources such as rental assistance or mediation services.

The provider will also be responsible for administering and tracking the program. This includes verifying eligibility, coordinating services, maintaining records, and submitting regular reports to the county. They will monitor outcomes such as whether cases are dismissed, resolved through agreements, or result in tenants vacating their homes.

As the Journal-World reported, county commissioners voted in favor of creating the pilot in March, and it will be funded using $40,000 already included in the County Commission’s 2026 budget for eviction prevention activities.

Local advocacy group Lawrence Tenants has been urging county commissioners to develop a tenants right to counsel program in the county since last year, and while commissioners have not quite approved such a program, the pilot is one potential step in that direction.

Additionally, a tenants right to counsel program was first introduced in the city-county “A Place for Everyone” plan, and it is listed as a strategy for Douglas County to help reach its affordable housing goals.

County staff are planning to use the data findings from the pilot along with participant feedback to evaluate the program’s overall impact and whether to expand or continue the program in the future.

If the process of the pilot is approved by county commissioners on Wednesday, county staff will release an informal request for proposals.

The anticipated closing date to accept proposals from providers is April 30. Staff will evaluate the proposals from May 1 through May 8. The county administrator will make a recommendation for a provider by May 13 to make sure services begin by June 1.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, COMMISSIONERS WILL:

• Hear about the findings from the first phase of a comprehensive consultation and review of the Treatment & Recovery Center, or the TRC, during a work session. According to a memo from Multipass Consulting, the facility is a critical investment in the county’s behavioral health crisis response system and is reducing the reliance on emergency departments.

However, the consultants said the center is still in a developmental phase, with opportunities to improve patient flow, clarify how capacity is defined and used, and better align operations with the demands of a 24/7 crisis care model.

The consultants added that there are also challenges that could limit the TRC’s effectiveness, such as staffing instability; gaps between the TRC’s needs and the broader organization’s infrastructure; inconsistent processes such as medical clearance and data reporting; and limited financial transparency around the true cost of operations.

To address these issues, the consultants are recommending to strengthen coordination across the crisis system, modernize data and analytics, and enhance the clinical model — particularly through better workforce integration and expanded expertise in areas like substance use treatment.

As the Journal-World reported, the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center requested $1 million from the county in December 2025 in order to support TRC operations in 2026, but commissioners said that before they could consider the funding, an external and financial review of the facility needed to be completed.

No action will follow the session, as it is for informational purposes only. A comprehensive final report with detailed recommendations will be shared with the County Commission in May.

• Consider authorizing the Public Works department to solicit bids for 3,500 tons of de-icing salt for roadways during the 2026-2027 winter storm season.

The County Commission work session will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Douglas County Commission meeting room at 1100 Massachusetts St. The business meeting will follow at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.