Contact: Kelsey Doren
Chief Court Administrator
kelseydoren@kycourts.net
For Immediate Release
FRANKFORT, Ky., Sept. 1, 2023 – Jefferson District Court today announced that it has received a grant from the National Center for State Courts’ Eviction Diversion Initiative to strengthen eviction diversion efforts and improve housing stability across the county.
Jefferson District Court is one of 10 state and local courts selected through a competitive application process and reviewed by an advisory council of state court chief justices and court administrators. NCSC is a nonprofit based in Williamsburg, Va., that is dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing support to state courts.
“We are so grateful that the National Center for State Courts awarded this grant to Louisville so we can do more to help tenants and landlords with solutions that work for everyone,” said Jefferson District Judge Jennifer H. Leibson, who is the presiding judge over the civil eviction court.
Other selected sites are in Colorado, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Each court will use the grant funding to hire dedicated staff to implement holistic, sustainable and community-driven strategies for resolving legal problems. Jefferson District Court is seeking an eviction diversion case manager. Interested applicants can apply at https://kcoj.info/jdced through 8 p.m. EDT on Sept. 10.
Successful eviction diversion programs provide landlords and tenants with the time, information and resources necessary to resolve their housing problems in the least harmful way, according to NCSC. The courts selected will benefit from ongoing peer learning opportunities, a national evaluation led by Stout Risius Ross and intensive technical assistance provided by NCSC.
The goal is to leverage community resources including legal aid and mediation services, housing and financial counseling, and rental assistance programs, according to NCSC. Funding for the program was made possible through a $10 million Wells Fargo Foundation grant awarded to NCSC in 2021. Visit ncsc.org/eviction for more information about NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative.
Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts
The Administrative Office of the Courts is the operations arm of the state court system and supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 413 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.
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