At last Tuesday’s meeting, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners decided to reallocate almost $1 million initially set aside to address a case backlog, instead directing the funds to support the Housing Stability Court.

The motion, made by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, passed 4-0 with Commissioner Jerica Richardson absent.

Chief Magistrate Judge Brendan Murphy explained that while only part of the original funds would be used to reduce the backlog, the reallocation would allow the stability court to operate through mid-2025 and into 2026.

A news release about the decision on the county website stated that facing eviction, pregnant mother Sytira sought help from The Center for Family Resources (CFR), a non-profit that partners with Cobb County’s Magistrate Court on a program to prevent evictions.

Through CFR, Sytira was enrolled in the Housing Stability Court, funded by pandemic relief funds, which helped her and her children maintain stable housing. She also attended financial literacy classes, which she said improved her financial skills and stability.

The news release on the Cobb County website includes the following quotes from officials:

Judge Murphy said the Housing Stability Court has succeeded in helping 60 families avoid eviction. “The idea was to bring together financial assistance with case management resources to help those facing eviction for the first time get not only financial assistance but also the job skills, financial literacy, budgeting, resume writing, and other tools so they won’t find themselves back in eviction court and break that chain.”

The news release provided the following quotes about the program:

“We’ve witnessed the impacts of this program over the past 12 months and are grateful for the Board’s support,” said The Center for Family Resources Chief Executive Officer Melanie Kagen. “Our innovative approach is a way to address the root cause of housing instability and allow residents a second chance to get back on track. We’re grateful for the partnership with Judge Murphy and his team and Magistrate Court and look forward to continuing to serve Cobb residents.”

“I appreciate your initiative,” said Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told Judge Murphy during the board meeting. “Thanks for being transformative so we can keep families housed. We know there is a limited amount of funds available to help us recover from the pandemic, so everything we can do to help ensure people have a place to stay and to help them do that on their own, I think, is a win-win.”

“With the pandemic behind us, this move frees up federal funding to extend and expand the voluntary Housing Stability Court,” Judge Murphy said. “This first-of-its-kind program has already helped dozens of families avoid homelessness and gain the skills and knowledge needed to improve their financial future.  Now hundreds of additional Cobb tenants and landlords will have an opportunity to participate.”