{"url":"https://www.milforddailynews.com/opinion/","title":"Invest in mediation to avoid evictions","domain":"milforddailynews.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/7876047/pexels-photo-7876047.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"mediation meeting","category":"Entertainment","language":"en","slug":"e8636245","id":"e8636245-8a56-4357-b61a-4dab06b66e6d","description":"Opinion column argues for funding mediation programs to prevent evictions instead of relying on court fights.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Opinion column argues for funding mediation programs to prevent evictions instead of relying on court fights.\n- Landlords file 3.6 million eviction cases yearly in the US, affecting nearly 3 million children.\n- Mediation resolves underlying conflicts, easing burdens on families, landlords, and courts.\n\n## The story at a glance\nSeth Izen and Li Morrison, from MetroWest Mediation Services, call for investment in mediation to avoid evictions. They highlight how the standard eviction process - file, fight, rule, remove - fails everyone involved. The column appeared April 4, 2026, amid ongoing housing affordability pressures.[[1]](https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/04/04/we-must-invest-in-what-really-avoids-evictions-mediation-opinion/89429888007/)\n\n## Key points\n- Each year, US landlords file an average of **3.6 million** eviction cases, with nearly **3 million** children caught in the middle.[[1]](https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/04/04/we-must-invest-in-what-really-avoids-evictions-mediation-opinion/89429888007/)\n- Evictions force families into shelters or unstable housing, leave landlords chasing unpaid rent, and overload courts with unresolved disputes.\n- Traditional approach treats eviction as inevitable, using a process of filing, fighting, ruling, and removing tenants.\n- Authors say mediation offers a better way that actually works to address root conflicts between tenants and landlords.\n- Izen is executive director and Morrison is director of court mediation at MetroWest Mediation Services in Natick.[[2]](https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/04/04/we-must-invest-in-what-really-avoids-evictions-mediation-opinion/89429888007)\n\n## Details and context\nThe column points to a national eviction scale that strains communities, especially now when neither tenants nor landlords can easily afford drawn-out battles. Mediation, as pitched by local experts, brings parties together to negotiate solutions like payment plans or repairs, avoiding court altogether.\n\nThis fits broader efforts in Massachusetts, where groups like MetroWest Mediation Services run court-linked programs to cut eviction filings. Past data from similar initiatives show high settlement rates, though specific numbers for this group's work are not given here.\n\n## Key quotes\nNone available from visible content.\n\n## Why it matters\nEvictions fuel homelessness, child instability, and clogged court systems, costing billions in social services and lost productivity. For readers in housing, it means potential access to mediation that could keep homes and resolve debts without total loss. Watch for state funding decisions on mediation, though expansion depends on pilot results and budgets.","hashtags":["#housing","#crisis","#eviction","#prevention","#mediation","#massachusetts"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.milforddailynews.com/opinion/","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/04/04/we-must-invest-in-what-really-avoids-evictions-mediation-opinion/89429888007/","title":""},{"url":"https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/04/04/we-must-invest-in-what-really-avoids-evictions-mediation-opinion/89429888007","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-06T18:10:11.955Z"}