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On agenda:
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5/17/2022
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Final action:
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Title:
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Ratify Las Vegas Justice Court's (LVJC) application to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) for an Eviction Diversion Initiative grant; approve acceptance of the grant award in the amount of $1,248,750 from the NCSC for the period of June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2024, with additional funding in years three and four of the grant; authorize the LVJC Chief Judge to sign grant award acceptance letter and any additional grant documents related thereto; and authorize the creation of 14 positions in support of the Eviction Diversion Initiative; the purpose of the grant is to establish or expand court-based eviction diversion programs to prevent avoidable evictions; identify and address litigant barriers and create simplified more responsive process to meet community needs; collaborate with local legal and non-legal stakeholders to expand and facilitate access to resources to further stabilize litigants; and strengthen data collection efforts. (For possible action)
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CLARK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM
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Petitioner: |
Melissa Saragosa, Chief Justice of the Peace, Las Vegas Justice Court |
Recommendation:
title
Ratify Las Vegas Justice Court's (LVJC) application to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) for an Eviction Diversion Initiative grant; approve acceptance of the grant award in the amount of $1,248,750 from the NCSC for the period of June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2024, with additional funding in years three and four of the grant; authorize the LVJC Chief Judge to sign grant award acceptance letter and any additional grant documents related thereto; and authorize the creation of 14 positions in support of the Eviction Diversion Initiative; the purpose of the grant is to establish or expand court-based eviction diversion programs to prevent avoidable evictions; identify and address litigant barriers and create simplified more responsive process to meet community needs; collaborate with local legal and non-legal stakeholders to expand and facilitate access to resources to further stabilize litigants; and strengthen data collection efforts. (For possible action)
body
FISCAL IMPACT:
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Fund #: |
TBD |
Fund Name: |
TBD |
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Fund Center: |
TBD |
Funded PGM/Grant: |
TBD |
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Amount: |
$1,248,750.00 |
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Description: |
Las Vegas Justice Court Eviction Diversion Initiative |
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Additional Comments: |
The total amount of the grant is $1,248,750.00 for the first two years and will be paid in two installments: the first installment is $832,500; the second installment is $416,250. Potential additional funding exists for years three and four of the grant. |
BACKGROUND:
The Eviction Diversion Initiative is a four-year program that offers courts across the nation the opportunity to learn from and improve upon pandemic-era best practices and to create permanent changes to their high-volume, high-impact eviction dockets. The National Center for state Courts (NCSC) selected Las Vegas Justice Court to be a participating jurisdiction for NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative for the period of June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2024. Las Vegas Justice Court is one of 13 nationally selected jurisdictions that will receive funding, resources and technical assistance to fundamentally transform eviction courts to prioritize holistic, sustainable and community-driven resolutions to legal problems.
Eviction Diversion Initiative jurisdictions will receive funding to hire dedicated staff to support their eviction diversion programs and related court reform efforts. The initial award is a two-year grant in the amount of $1,248,750.00, with the potential for additional funding in the third and fourth years of the program. Las Vegas Justice Court will receive ongoing technical assistance from NCSC and will also participate in data-sharing and peer learning opportunities for all four years of the program.
The NCSC is an independent, non-profit organization that has been serving courts for more than 50 years. They identify and respond to evolving needs by deploying resources when and where courts need them. Under this initiative, Las Vegas Justice Court in collaborate with Clark County Social Services will serve as the lead agencies that work with local stakeholders to stabilize evictions in Clark County.
To meet the aims and goals of the Eviction Diversion Initiative, the Social Services department and the Las Vegas Justice Court will require additional limited permanent staff.
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