Cook County program touted as one of the ‘top eviction prevention innovations’ has drawn praise, pushback

A Cook County, Illinois, program implemented during the height of the pandemic to provide legal and financial support to landlords and tenants behind on their rent has dramatically slowed down the eviction process, drawing praise and pushback from renters and property owners.

The initiative, known as the Early Resolution Program, launched in November 2020 when court systems across the country were strategizing how best to help administer billions of dollars in rental assistance and support tenants facing eviction.

The White House touted the program, which offers free legal aid, mediation services and connections to rental assistance, as one of the “top eviction prevention innovations.”

But the innovation has brought additional challenges. Before the pandemic, it could take just a few weeks for a tenant to be evicted. Now it takes at least a couple of months. The slowdown, tenants’ attorneys argue, is necessary to ensure that everyone, including landlords, gets the help that they need. But the extra time leads to financial distress for property owners, argue landlords’ attorneys.

And a shortage of legal aid attorneys has further lengthened the process.

There are also new questions about the future of rental assistance — a primary component of settling eviction cases between