The Statewide Right to Counsel legislation is a part of the Housing Courts Must Change! (HCMC) Campaign, a statewide campaign launched in 2020 to transform the courts from an “eviction machine” to a place that upholds tenants’ rights, holds landlords accountable, and enables tenants to remain in their homes. Our goals, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, include slowing down eviction cases and expanding Right to Counsel across New York State, so ALL tenants have and know about their rights and are emboldened to organize and fight to stop evictions.
What is Statewide Right to Counsel?
Statewide Right to Counsel guarantees ALL tenants across New York State the right to a lawyer when facing an eviction! Click the links below to learn more about the Statewide Right to Counsel legislation:
- Statewide RTC legislation: Senate (S06678A) | Assembly (A07570A)
- Statewide RTC 2-pager: English | Spanish
TAKE ACTION: Call your Assembly Members and Senators TODAY and make sure they cosponsor this crucial legislation!
- Here is a call script and steps you can take to urge your legislators to cosponsor statewide Right to Counsel.
- Help us spread the word about our campaign for statewide Right to Counsel.
Join us to build a movement for Right to Counsel across New York State!
Statewide RTC Endorsement Form and Logo Upload (Requires Google Sign-In)
Statewide RTC Endorsement Form (No Google Sign-In Required)
Endorsers
AARP New York
Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD)
Astoria Tenants Union
Brooklyn Defender Services
Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A
CAMBA Legal Services
Catholic Migration Services
Citywide Tenant Union of Rochester
Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) - New Settlement
Community Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck
Crown Heights Tenant Union
Flatbush Tenant Coalition
Fund for the Modern Courts
Goddard Riverside Law Project
Housing Conservation Coordinators
Housing Court Answers
Housing for All
Housing Help Incorporated
Housing Justice for All
Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition
Hudson Valley Justice Center
Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing
John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity
JustCause
Legal Services of Central New York, Inc.
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
Lifting Up Westchester, Inc.
LiveOn NY
Make the Road New York
Mount Vernon United Tenants
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
New York State Council of Churches
New York Legal Services Coalition
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC)
Program Design and Development, LLC
Safety Net Project - Urban Justice Center
St Nicks Alliance
Syracuse Tenant Union
The Bronx Defenders
United Neighbors Organization (UNO)
United Way of Westchester and Putnam
VOCAL-NY
Westchester Children's Association
Westchester County Board of Legislators
Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration
Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc.
RESOURCES
- Learn about the Housing Courts Must Change! Campaign
- Statewide RTC legislation: Senate (S06678A) | Assembly (A07570A)
- Statewide RTC 2-pager: English | Spanish
- Factsheet: How would NYC tenants benefit from statewide Right to Counsel? Bilingual (English and Spanish)
- Statewide RTC Endorsement Form