What is being done to keep millions of people in their homes following grim report?

According to multiple news reports, investment firm Goldman Sachs released its prediction Sunday showing how many households could face eviction after the Supreme Court struck down protections for most of the United States under the CDC’s moratorium.

According to the Goldman Sachs analysis, up to 3.5 million households could lose their homes. 750,000 of those households could be evicted by the end of the year leading to 20,000 lost jobs.

“The strength of the housing and rental market suggests landlords will try to evict tenants who are delinquent on rent unless they obtain federal assistance. And evictions could be particularly pronounced in cities hardest hit by the corona crisis, since apartment markets are actually tighter in those cities,” Goldman Sachs analysts wrote. “This reduces the incentive for landlords to negotiate with delinquent tenants or wait for federal aid.”

Many cities and states have been slow to distribute the $46.5 billion Congress approved for rent relief. Through July, only $5.1 billion of that had been given out.

On Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland sent a letter to “members of the legal community” asking them to volunteer their time to help with the massive number of expected eviction filings. Those filings are expected to jump to about double pre-pandemic levels.

“The legal profession is well positioned to provide support for tenants, landlords, and courts during this crisis,” Garland said. “Promoting access to justice to ensure that our justice system delivers outcomes that are fair and accessible to all, irrespective of wealth or status, is one of the highest ideals of the legal profession.”

Garland laid out three ways lawyers and law students could help:

• Help applicants access rental assistance
• Volunteer with their local legal aid provider
• Help local courts implement eviction diversion programs

He also said federal employees could reach out to the Federal Government Pro Bono Program to identify opportunities to provide pro bono representation in housing cases.

“The legal community has an obligation to help those who are most vulnerable,” Garland said. “We can do that by doing everything we can to ensure that people have a meaningful opportunity to stay in their homes and that eviction procedures are carried out in a fair and just manner.”