United Way of Chester County will invest $250,000 over a three-year period to expand Friends Association's Eviction Prevention Court Program (EPC Program) countywide. The program provides a combination of free legal representation, financial assistance, and social service support to tenants who appear before the court for an eviction filing. The goal is to avoid the immediate and downstream consequences of eviction for tenants and the significant financial costs to landlords, taxpayers, and the community.

Friends Association launched its EPC Program in the Downingtown Magisterial District Court in September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this program's success, in January 2021, Friends Association expanded its efforts to the two Magisterial District Courts serving the Coatesville area. The organization aims to add five more courts in the next year.

To learn more about the EPC Program, visit http://www.friendsassoc.org. If someone is experiencing a housing emergency, call 211 or text the person's zip code to 898-211.