MEMORANDUM
CITY OF BURBANK
CITY ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE
DATE: May 21, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM:
SUBJECT: Supplemental Memo to Budget Discussion Paper - Housing Enforcement Program
INTRODUCTION
This memo supplements the Housing Enforcement Program Budget Discussion Paper with additional ideas for a Low-Income Legal Services Pilot Program.
DISCUSSION
The May 7, 2024, discussion paper identified the Housing Rights Center (HRC) as a key partner to provide landlord and tenant workshops on housing rules and regulations, and fair housing rights and responsibilities, with weekly or monthly "clinics" to expand services to the community. The City Attorney's Office and Community Development Department subsequently met to brainstorm the following additional ways to expand and support a Low- Income Legal Services Pilot Program:
1. Provide community mediation training to the Landlord Tenant Commission to hold no-cost mediation for landlord-tenant disputes that are outside the scope of the Housing Enforcement Program.
2. Consider future expansion of community mediation beyond landlord-tenant to other community disputes.
3. Investigate the feasibility and efficacity of creating a fixed-fee private legal mediation panel for landlords and tenants.
4. Offer grants to reimburse qualifying low-income tenants or landlords for legal representation in at-fault eviction proceedings.
The Landlord Tenant Commission can consider and discuss these ideas during a regular meeting where City staff and HRC would present the scope and availability of HRC services and describe which landlord-tenant matters might remain for the Commission to mediate once the Housing Enforcement Program begins. The Commission would make an advisory 1 recommendation to City Council on a preferred menu of HRC services and the Commissions' future role in community dispute resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff is currently requesting $100,000 in one-time funding for the Low-Income Legal Services Pilot Program, which could change depending upon the program components City Council selects.
CONCLUSION
Staff requests City Council provide direction on which program components it wishes to pursue for a Low-Income Legal Services Pilot Program.
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