All about Nashville’s tenant RTC pilot program

UPDATE December 2025: Tenant rep pilot program continues, with ordinance in the works

The Nashville Banner reports that the Eviction Right to Counsel Program (which is not yet a right to counsel despite its name) continues to operate with the funding provided through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and serves roughly 1,200 tenants.  The program has about $2.3 million in funding, and according to a Stout report would need $9.3 million to cover all tenants.  The Banner story also notes that “Councilmember Zulfat Suara has a draft ordinance ready to try to write ERTC into Metro Law. Speaking to the Banner, she didn’t want to reveal too many details. But she’s excited about the prospects.”

UPDATE July 2025: WPLN Nashville’s radio spot zooms in on RTC pilot

WPLN, Nashville’s NPR station, aired a radio piece that dived into the City’s tenant RTC pilot program.  WPLN interviewed stakeholders from across the spectrum, including the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association, Legal Aid Society, American Muslim Advisory Council, Nashville Conflict Resolution Center, Rooftop Nashville, and a landlord attorney, and talked about the difficulties of being a pro se tenant as well as the RTC pilot program’s 95% success rate.

Background

A report by Stout took a deep look at Nashville’s “Eviction Right to Counsel Pilot Program” [NOTE: Nashville does not have an enacted right to counsel, but rather is testing out expanded representation and gathering data that could support a RTC].  The program provided different level of services for tenants, with 43% receiving full-scope representation, 43% counsel and advice, and 14% “limited action” (which was somewhere in between counsel/advice and full representation.  The report found that:

• 93% of tenants who sought to avoid an eviction or involuntary move were able to do so with the help of the pilot;

• The pilot saved the City $2.50 and the tenants $2.60 for every $1 spent.

• 57% of the pilot’s clients were working at the time they were represented, while 44% of those who were not working indicated they had a disability.

• 37% of the tenants owed only 1 month or less of rent at the time they faced eviction, while 60% of all tenants owing rent indicated they could pay some or all of the back rent.

At full implementation, Stout estimates that the program would cost $9.3 million but that it would generate $33.4-$43.9 million in savings.  The report’s release was covered by WSMV 4 and WZTV Nashville.