New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city’s plan to set aside an additional $93 million over the next year to provide free legal representation for tenants facing eviction, making it the largest city in the country to offer that support. Tenants with household incomes below $50,000 will qualify, which will help the roughly 75 percent of tenants who currently face housing court without representation. On top of the $62 million per year that the city has already allocated to expand legal services, this new funding will contribute an additional $15 million in FY 2018, and the total will reach $93 million by 2022. Supporters say this new program will save the city up to $320 million each year by decreasing the cost of placing evicted families in the shelter system.
New York City to Fund Free Legal Access for Tenants Facing Eviction
