Wells Fargo gives $650,000 grant to eviction diversion project that serves Linn County

CEDAR RAPIDS — Wells Fargo has awarded a $650,000 grant to Iowa Legal Aid’s project that has “help desks” available in six county courthouses across the state, including in Linn County, to provide tenants with on-site legal representation and rental assistance in eviction situations.

The project works with tenants and landlords to get past rent due paid, often without the need to file an eviction case, according to a news release. The project’s volunteer lawyers work with tenants to address any legal issues that may be reducing their income, such as benefits denial, unlawful garnishments or unpaid child support.

Legal Aid’s Eviction Diversion Project is an “innovative initiative that brings together key stakeholders to provide legal representation and rental assistance at the same time, on-site, where eviction cases are heard,” according to Iowa Legal Aid. It creates a rare “win-win” solution that secures housing for tenants, allows landlords to recoup lost small-business income, and reduces congestion in overcrowded eviction courts.

Legal aid officials said the eviction crisis has had a disparate impact on women, communities of color, and people with disabilities as the tenants facing eviction statewide during the first year of the pandemic were 66 percent women, 41 percent communities of color and 30 percent people with disabilities.

These groups face inequities that started before the pandemic and were exacerbated during the pandemic because of layoffs in the retail and hospitality sectors and school closures.

“This project has been transformative,” Nick Smithberg, executive director of Iowa Legal Aid, said in a statement. “We’ve come together to create a statewide network of stakeholders intent upon funding a new way to address the eviction crisis. Since inception we have helped many thousands of Iowans avoid eviction.”

Smithberg said the project is also expensive, requiring a commitment from the attorneys and other staff members throughout the state, so this “generous grant” allows the project to continue.

“At Wells Fargo, we believe it is our responsibility as a corporate citizen to use our resources to help to support key housing programs such as the Eviction Diversion Project to ensure that those at a disadvantage have proper legal representation and the opportunity to stay in their homes,” Micah Kiel, vice president of Iowa community relations with Wells Fargo, said in a statement.

The grant will support and expand the help desk in Linn County, where legal aid partners with Waypoint Services and Willis Dady. Other project supporters include the city of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP), volunteer attorneys and community partners that provide non-legal services.

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