TOPEKA—The Sedgwick County District Court is one of about a dozen jurisdictions nationwide that will benefit from grant funding to support developing an eviction resolution program.  
 
Jeffrey Goering, chief judge of the 18th Judicial District, said he’s honored his court was chosen, both for its local impact and for long-term benefits it will provide all courts statewide.  
 
“Each year, the Sedgwick County District Court routinely processes more eviction cases than any other court in Kansas,” Goering said. “With this grant, we can begin to examine strategies to improve the process for tenants and landlords alike. Then, we can share what we learn, and the resources we develop, with courts throughout Kansas.”
 
Goering’s court was chosen for the project by the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration, which was awarded the $261,000 grant through a competitive application and review process by an advisory council led by the National Center for State Courts.
 
The voluntary eviction resolution program in Sedgwick County will be led by a program manager initially funded by the grant. The program manager will work toward early case resolution by connecting tenants and landlords to resources, whether it is legal help, rental assistance, or materials to help them better understand eviction law and the legal process. Informational and educational resources developed through the grant project will be made available to all Kansas courts, ultimately benefiting every community statewide.
 
The plan is consistent with the grant goal to use funding to hire dedicated staff to implement holistic, sustainable, and community-driven strategies for resolving legal problems. The eviction resolution program will provide landlords and tenants with the time, information, and resources necessary to resolve their cases early in the process and without prolonged litigation.
 
The grant project also fulfills recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee on Best Practices for Eviction Proceedings, a committee formed by the Kansas Supreme Court in October 2021. The committee’s charge was to examine the eviction process and develop best practices to reduce court filings, expeditiously resolve pending cases, and enhance housing stability for the benefit of landlords and tenants.
 
The committee recently delivered its 29-page report to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court approved short-term recommendations that included developing educational and reference materials, best practices for eviction proceedings, and updating forms.     
 
By participating in the grant awarded through the National Center for State Courts, the district court and the Office of Judicial Administration will benefit from ongoing peer learning, a national evaluation led by Stout Risius Ross LCC, and intensive technical assistance from the National Center for State Courts, as they work to leverage community resources, including legal aid and mediation services, housing and financial counseling, and rental assistance programs.
 
Other jurisdictions to receive grant funding are in Alaska, Indiana,  Michigan, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.