THE ISSUE

EXPOSING THE PROBLEM

If you are charged with a crime in the United States, you have a right to legal representation. But, if you are scammed out of your life savings or are a victim of unscrupulous medical debt collection, you are on your own. 

Millions of low-income Washingtonians face legal problems that impact their daily life.


In case after case, people represent themselves in landlord-tenant lawsuits, foreclosures, and medical debt. The outcome is often devastating.


The gap between the number of civil legal problems and the resources available to meet those needs is known as the "justice gap."


It leaves 80% of low-income households to go it alone in cases related to housing, medical debt, student loans, auto fraud and consumer scams.


Without legal help these problems can quickly spiral into losing your home, job, children and even your life.

THE DEBT COLLECTION INDUSTRY

#1

complaint to the Federal Trade Commission

$11.5B

billion dollar industry

250,000

debt collectors nationwide

1B

billion consumer contacts each year

BUYING A CAR

$25.8

billion paid each year by consumers who finance at the dealership

Millions

of car buyers are estimated to be defrauded each year

253,000

car buyers of color were charged higher interest rates in one study

Dealerships

make much of their profits by marking up interest rates

HEALTHCARE

#1

cause of bankruptcy

#1

income source for debt collectors

52%

of debt collection lawsuits involve medical debt

137,000,000

Americans with medical debt

THE STUDENT LOAN CRISIS

$1.7

trillion in student loan debt

66%

of students graduate with significant debt

Black and Hispanic borrowers default at

2x

the rate of white borrowers

Low income students are

10x

as likely to default

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