Office of Eviction Defense

The Office of Eviction Defense (OED) works to cultivate housing stability throughout Detroit neighborhoods by providing legal services to occupants in residential evictions cases and in housing-related administrative proceedings, which threaten occupancy. We coordinate with local legal service providers to make sure that tenants have legal representation and can assert their rights.  

Those services will be provided to anyone earning up to twice the federal poverty level. The office will be funded for the next three years with $6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds committed by the Duggan administration.  Separately, the Gilbert Family Foundation has pledged $12 million over the next three years to provide eviction legal defense for 6,000 low-income Detroit families with children. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the City and its partners have directed more than $300 million toward eviction prevention and defense, providing rental assistance to nearly 30,000 households and legal representation to more than 15,000 Detroit renters.  

Creation of the new office of Eviction Defense is a requirement under the Right to Counsel ordinance spearheaded by Council President Mary Sheffield, which was approved in May 2022.

How to Get Help

If you are a tenant with an upcoming court date, please go to your court hearing and our attorneys will be there for you.