Workshop aims to teach about tenant’s rights and eviction in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Affordable housing continues to be an issue in Lexington, and a workshop on Wednesday focused on efforts to cut down homelessness in the city and that starts with informing tenants about their rights.

“We’re here to say that there is always hope even if not where you are, where we can help you get it,” says Deontra Gunther, a Fayette District Judge who was in attendance at the workshop.

Charlie Lanter the commissioner of Housing Advocacy and Community Development also spoke on eviction, “it’s expensive for a landlord to turn over a unit and to file for an eviction and pay court costs. And so even when that relationship has broken down, it’s important to continue to communicate with the landlord to, to communicate with the court and show up for the hearing.”

But some tenants are discouraged the minute they see an eviction notice, mandating they show up in eviction court. They say the stigma can be too much to bear and rather than show up, they skip out. Judge Gunther says, that actually hurts you more in the long run.

“Show up for court that, you know, obviously the city has just approved where you’re going to have some access to counsel so that you don’t feel that you’re going into the lion’s den alone, there will be someone standing there for you. The city would be able to help you move into a new home, and obviously, you know, not have a judgment on your record, because having a judgment on your record doesn’t help the landlord and it most definitely does not help you because it’s almost impossible to find another place to move to with a judgment on your record,” she says.

Recently Lexington expanded its housing stabilization program which would help tenants with mediation with landlords and legal counsel, something Legal Aid of the Bluegrass says is crucial when moving forward.

“Try to communicate with the landlord as much as possible to either get on a payment plan or kind of get ahead of that eviction action before the landlord gives them that notice,” says Madison Snelling, a staff attorney with Legal Aid of the Bluegrass.

If you are in need of rental assistance you can call (859) 280-8424 or go to https://www.lexingtonky.gov/renthelp

Legal Aid of the Bluegrass Central intake Hotline: (859) 431-8200

Rent Assist: (859) 813-5533