NYC to provide free legal council for tenants in housing court
Attorneys Worry it Could Lead to Unintended Consequences
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an initiative on Sunday that will set aside $93 million to provide free legal access to tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. It’s part of a continued expansion of tenant legal aid that de Blasio started two years ago and has led to a 24 percent drop in evictions, according to the Mayor’s Office.
“We are the biggest city in the country to level the playing field between tenants and landlords in Housing Court. To anyone being forced out of their home or neighborhood, we are fighting for you. This is still your city,” said Mayor de Blasio.
It sounds like a huge leap in a city where more than 70 percent of tenants appear in Housing Court without an attorney. However, lawyers who regularly practice in Housing Court aren’t so sure that the initiative will have its intended effects and would rather see the money going toward social programs.