Deadline extended for free eviction prevention legal clinic in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For months, we’ve been reporting on rising costs, especially for housing, that has combined with the pandemic’s lasting impacts to put a strain on people.

If you’re concerned with eviction and need legal help, Albuquerque is hosting an eviction prevention clinic May 25 – and the deadline to sign up was recently extended.

"A lot of people still are struggling with finding a job or even health issues related to COVID," said Vajayra Gonzalez, an outreach support specialist for the City of Albuquerque, "so I would just like for people to know that they have a community and we care about them."

The extension relates to what city officials have seen since the eviction moratorium was lifted last month. Gonzalez also serves as a pro bono coordinator for the City of Albuquerque and she has observed a drastic increase in court cases and people needing resources.

"It’s a very hard situation to go through, especially during COVID and all of these events that have been going on," Gonzalez said, "and we just want to support our Albuquerque community by providing these tools to support them and help them, so please come out."

To see if you qualify, fill out an application online with basic information, such as your name, your address and the best way to contact you, so someone can call you and take down more information to pass on to a lawyer.

"Their lease, their past due amounts and if they have any court documents that they can bring," Gonzalez stated. "We will set them up with an attorney and they will have a free consultation that’s about 30 minutes long."

To qualify, you just need to live in Albuquerque city limits. The deadline to sign up was extended to May 20 and the clinic will be May 25. At the clinic, there will also be other resources available from other nonprofits.