Interview with NJP attorney Carrie Graf: Whenever a tenancy can be saved, it must be saved
Q: Why did you decide to become a legal aid lawyer and practice housing law?
During my second summer of law school, I interned with Legal Aid in Minneapolis. On my first day in eviction court, I saw a mother with a five-day-old baby facing eviction. I was shocked. How could this mom and her infant be made homeless? I saw how fundamental housing stability is to people’s well-being. I decided then that this is the fight I want to be part of.
Q: How has your practice changed over the last ten years?
It has changed both a lot and not at all. Initially, it focused on eviction defense and clearing up eviction records. That’s still a big part of it. The biggest change has been that I much more frequently represent people living in vehicles or living outside. We fight for their rights to remain in the community. The Right to Counsel in eviction cases has also transformed the landscape, giving many people access to representation who previously had none. And we now have more opportunities to file appeals and secure legal precedents that protect tenants’ rights.
Q: How bad is the housing crisis?
The housing crisis is severe. We’ve seen the numbers of evictions spike as rents have skyrocketed. The proportion of income people spend on housing is up. We’ve blown way past HUD’s old guidance that housing should take up no more than one-third of income. My clients typically spend half to two-thirds of their income on housing. Many who are evicted end up living in vehicles, and then are pushed out of their communities, creating further instability. They are sleeping in cars, on couches, in tents.
Q: Who are the people most affected by housing instability?
I’m particularly concerned about people who are just holding on to housing. It only takes one bad turn of events, one medical crisis or job loss, before they’re living in a car or a tent. Once that happens, it is exponentially harder to get back into housing. That group of people is getting larger. They have no savings, no family who can help. Evictions disproportionately impact Black mothers and marginalized communities, but the crisis affects people across all races.
Q: What is the role of civil legal aid in this crisis?
Legal aid can’t build more affordable housing but we can ensure that whenever a tenancy can be saved, it is saved, and that people can remain in their homes as long as possible. We provide stability in a chaotic situation, help people understand their rights, and protect their dignity. For instance, in a recent case, we filed a lawsuit to challenge the eviction of a community from their encampment, where they had lived together for six years. The lawsuit prompted the government to offer shelter, demonstrating how legal aid can make a tangible difference.
Q: How do recent Supreme Court decisions affect your work?
Recent decisions, like those in the Grants case (US Supreme Court) and Potter case (Washington State Supreme Court) are challenging, but they don’t eliminate all constitutional claims. Rights such as due process and protections for disabled individuals remain crucial. For example, individuals with disabilities are entitled to modifications in how sweeps of encampments are conducted. Disability rights continue to offer protection for a significant proportion of the homeless population.
Q: What do you find most meaningful about your work?
What’s most meaningful to me is connecting with people going through one of the most difficult, traumatic experiences they can have. Helping a person remain stably housed means everything. Even when there’s no perfect solution, being present and supporting clients through their struggles is deeply fulfilling. Whether it’s negotiating more time, reducing debts, or working to remove evictions from records, I find it rewarding to show clients that they are not alone.
Q: How does your work fit into NJP’s broader mission? How does it intersect with other legal challenges clients face?
NJP fights for justice, for strong communities, and for upholding the dignity of people who are otherwise pushed aside. We ensure an individual’s basic needs are met and treated with respect. The work I do every day feels very core to this.
Q: What do you want the public to know about NJP’s housing work?
Our clients are their neighbors and as important a part of the community as anybody else. There’s no line between “them” and “us.” The person impacted could be your young adult child, your parents, or your former schoolteacher. I had one client who had cared for a severely disabled child her whole life. After her child passed away, she could no longer afford her home and began living in an RV. We are all part of the same community. It is unhealthy for the community as a whole to have people like my clients suffer the way they suffer. I hope we can do better by them. They deserve a lot more.