The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students that is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. In response to the growing legal needs of Americans arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19), the ABA has created this nationwide task force of volunteer lawyers and judges from across the legal profession. This group is working to identify the legal needs arising from the pandemic, making recommendations to address those needs, and helping mobilize volunteer lawyers and legal professionals to assist people who need help.  

The pandemic-driven economic recession occurred in the midst of a severe affordable housing crisis and precipitated catastrophic job loss and economic hardship, which has led to an increased inability to afford necessities, including food and shelter, and increased eviction risk.  HNMCP has been engaged to: 

1. Identify and evaluate eviction diversion and prevention programs, paying particular attention to court-based and court-adjacent interventions;
2. Recommend successful approaches and designs for programs, and how they might be adapted to the current crisis; and
3. Create a final product that recommends best practices and replicable models that can be distributed to court administrators, communities, and advocates nationwide.