Ashley comes to court because she hears that free lawyers and law students are there, and she wants some legal advice. The good news is that, unlike most of the clients we see in our law school clinic, Ashley (not her real name) does not have an eviction filed against her yet. The bad news: our state’s laws do not protect her from facing an eviction, which will likely come very soon.

Ashley’s goal is modest. She simply wants to stay in her rented home. Her two kids attend the local school, her apartment is close to her jobs as a home care provider, and she trusts her neighbors. One of them is a single mom too, and she watches Ashley’s daughter and son sometimes when Ashley can’t find a sitter.

Ashley only makes $13.50 per hour at her jobs, and the hours can be unpredictable. But she always prioritizes paying her $900 monthly rent, and she has been making things work during a challenging time. With her current lease set to expire next month, Ashley expected that the rent would go up, especially since she notices how her neighborhood is gentrifying. So she has been thinking about how she may be able to squeeze out an extra $50 or so each month — skip a few more meals, beg for a few extra work hours maybe.