After NYC passed the Right to Counsel law in 2017, research found that 84% of tenants facing eviction who had a lawyer were able to remain in their homes. Lawyers support tenants in defending their rights in the courtroom, and the data shows that making it a right for tenants to have a lawyer has been a powerful tool in stopping evictions. 

That's why we want to pass two bills to expand Right to Counsel, so that everyone facing an eviction both has and uses this right. Intro 1104 would double RTC's income eligibility level to cover the 31% of tenants facing eviction who are currently considered "over-income" for RTC. And because the majority of tenants don't know they even have a Right to Counsel, Intro 1529 would require the city to work with tenant organizing groups to engage and educate tenants about their rights. Learn more about these bills and our campaign here. 

We know that the passage of these bills would even further stop evictions. Please join us to share your voice and support for these bills that bring us one huge step closer to an #EvictionFreeNYC. 

We will hold an action at 9am outside of City Hall, and the hearing will begin at 10am. We then plan to have hours of testimony from tenants, lawyers, advocates, and other supporters. Please RSVP if you plan to attend to show your support. An RSVP does not mean you have to testify, though you are more than welcome to do so. The hearing is open to the public, but due to the amount of people testifying, testimonies will likely be limited to 2 minutes. You can, however, submit a longer written testimony.    

See an outreach flyer for the hearing here, and please spread the word! 

Questions? Info on How to Testify? Contact: Alyssa at [email protected] or 212-590-9475.