To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Katherine Smith, Director, Community Resources
Prepared By:
prepared
Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
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presenter
Presenter: Katherine Smith, Director, Community Resources
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Subject:
title
1:00 PM *Select Source Purchasing Waiver Request for Colorado Legal Services
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Staff is seeking approval of a select source purchasing waiver for eviction support services with Colorado Legal Services.
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Background and Discussion: Colorado Legal Services (CLS) has provided eviction support services for Arapahoe County residents since 2021, supporting more than 3,000 individuals. The county procured these services using one-time federal funds, partnering with the 18th Judicial District to provide courthouse space and promote resource availability. CLS expended allocated funding earlier this year, which eliminated the dedicated program for county residents. Given eviction rates remain at an all-time high, a supplemental budget request was approved June 10, 2025, to continue these services through year end.
Colorado Legal Services will continue operations of the eviction legal services program in Arapahoe County. The program provides legal information clinics in the Arapahoe County Courthouse for tenants facing eviction, and serves/represents clients in evictions and other housing disputes, with a goal to:
a. Reduce preventable evictions
b. Mitigate eviction-related consequences
c. Enhance housing stability
d. Connect tenants with community resources
Colorado Legal Services will provide legal information and know your rights trainings for all tenants who have come physically to the courthouse on their eviction return date in both English and Spanish. Colorado Legal Services will facilitate a careful development of appropriate legal defenses and strategies for tenants who wish to contend their eviction in court and have meritorious defenses.
The...
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