The builder's path
For: Renters facing eviction in the US can't find out before the hearing which defences and free legal help apply to their case.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
ὁ δὲ ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳ
Routes to a solution
Each route is a different kind of journey, with real people and organisations to contact at each step, starting with those in United States.
Step 1
Partner with a nonprofit on the ground
They know the people and can run it with you.
Accelerator for tech nonprofits.
Patient capital and fellowships for enterprises serving low-income communities.
Fellowships and seed funding for social innovators.
Y Combinator's free course and co-founder matching.
Step 2
Pitch a foundation or CSR fund
Show the evidence and the people it reaches.
Funds bold ideas in global health and humanitarian work.
Funds open source solutions from emerging economies.
Patient capital and fellowships for enterprises serving low-income communities.
Ideas, sources and tools for this problem, from first interviews to funding.
Eviction filing data by city and state, and policy research.
Legal Services Corporation data on representation in civil cases.
Tracks where tenants have a right to a lawyer and how programmes are running.
Starter prompt
Built from this problem's brief. Paste it into Claude or any AI assistant.
Help me design and build a first working prototype for this problem in United States. Problem: Renters facing eviction in the US can't find out before the hearing which defences and free legal help apply to their case. Who it hurts: Tenants who receive an eviction filing, most of whom go to court without a lawyer. The moment it hurts: Opening court papers with a hearing date a week or two away. What people do today: Most tenants show up alone and negotiate in the hallway with the landlord's lawyer, often agreeing to terms they don't fully understand. Why it is still unsolved: Rules, deadlines and free help differ by state and city, and legal aid groups can't reach everyone in time. What solved looks like: A tenant enters their court, county and the reason given on the papers, and within minutes gets their hearing checklist, the local defences that commonly apply, the nearest free legal help with intake hours, and a reminder before the hearing. Where: United States First, list what you would need to learn from the people affected before building, as interview questions. Then propose the simplest version that would help, the screens or messages it needs, and the data it would use. Keep it cheap to run, accessible, and respectful of people's privacy. Flag anything you are unsure about instead of guessing.
Talk to the people who live it before you build.
“Knowledge itself is power.”
Ipsa scientia potestas est.
Get a working version in front of people fast.
Using AI is not cheating. Every tool carries the work of the people who made it, and using it well is how knowledge has always moved forward. The thinking, the care for the people who live the problem, and the judgement are still yours.
“The Analytical Engine weaves algebraical patterns just as the Jacquard-loom weaves flowers and leaves.”
Open data that fits this problem.
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”
Tools matched to what this problem needs.
“A journey of a thousand li starts beneath one's feet.”
Ship it responsibly, and find help and funding.
“Give me a place to stand, and I will move the earth.”
δός μοι πᾶ στῶ καὶ τὰν γᾶν κινάσω
Kit written for this problem from its brief; every link was checked. Links go to each provider's own site. Zetema is not paid for any listing.