The City of Phoenix invites sealed offers for Eviction Legal Services.

The Effective Date of this Agreement will be upon final signature and recording by the City Clerk’s department.

The Commencement Date of this Agreement will be upon the Effective Date, whichever is later.

The term of this Agreement will be for 1 years, beginning on the Commencement Date, with 2 -year options to extend, which may be exercised by the City in its sole discretion .

This solicitation is available through the City’s Procurement Portal. For technical support issues related to the City's Procurement Portal, Offeror may use the support bubble on the bottom right, or email procurement-support@opengov.com for any assistance. For other issues related to this solicitation please contact the procurement officer listed under Contact Information.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement will terminate upon the earliest occurrence: by reaching the end of the term including any extensions exercised, or termination pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

In the Phoenix area, eviction filings have surged to record highs with summer months (June, July, and August) experiencing unprecedented spikes. Phoenix alone experienced 39,697 eviction filings in the past year resulting in a 16% eviction filing rate, triple the national eviction filing rate of 5.3%. Since March of 2023, Maricopa County has led the nation in the number of eviction filings. For 2023, Maricopa County Justice Courts reported 83,172 eviction complaints filed, which was 135% compared to filings over an average year before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to County officials, evictions are up 21% in Maricopa County, and The Eviction Lab reports the number of evictions filed per 100 renter households over the past 12 months has risen to 15%. While landlords are represented 94% of the time, tenants have legal representation less than 1% of the time according to Maricopa County Justice Court data.

Being evicted can have devasting and long-term negative consequences for Phoenix tenants and may also result in a family not being eligible for subsidized housing until the rental judgement is paid. Evictions can also lead to a loss of employment, disruption of children’s education, dislocation from health care providers, loss of personal belongings, and in many cases, homelessness. Eviction actions in Arizona are expedited proceedings, so tenants are usually required to move out with only a few days’ notice. Low-income, often minority tenants find it incredibly difficult to find housing on such short notice.

While legal representation for tenants in the courtroom is critical, attorneys may also help arrive at alternative solutions outside the courtroom, such as fair negotiated settlements with landlords. Within Maricopa County, and Phoenix specifically, there are limited numbers of attorneys to handle eviction cases, and even fewer who represent tenants at no cost. Maricopa County Justice Courts are equally burdened with eviction cases that do not have tenant representation, as the fairness of an eviction process depends upon Courts requiring landlords to prove the elements of a case while still affording tenants an opportunity to defend against the allegations.

To preserve current and future housing opportunities and stability for low-income, vulnerable, and at-risk Phoenix residents, tenants need legal support and assistance to effectively navigate and level the playing field within the eviction justice system.