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READING, Pa. — An eviction diversion program in Reading that offered tenants hands-on legal help and rental money has been greatly diminished as grants, federal funding, and volunteer assistance have dried up.

The collaboration between volunteer lawyers, the city’s Human Relations Commission, and Magisterial District Judge Tonya Butler launched in 2020 during the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2021 and 2023, the program received at least $482,400 in grants, primarily to ensure volunteer lawyers would be connected with tenants, communicate with

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