Residential evictions decreased 15 percent from previous year, representing largest single-year decrease in evictions since Mayor signed first-in-nation right to counsel law
Mayor de Blasio today announced that residential evictions by marshals declined more than 40 percent since 2013. In 2019 alone, evictions decreased 15 percent—the largest single-year decrease since Mayor de Blasio signed the first-in-the-nation “tenant’s right to counsel” law and launched the City’s Universal Access to Counsel program. Since 2013, through the City’s comprehensive efforts, more than 100,000 New Yorkers who might otherwise have faced evictions have been able to stay in their homes, with residential evictions steadily trending downwards in every borough.
“If we’re going to save our city, we must do everything we can to help people stay in the homes they love,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With evictions down over 40 percent citywide, the unprecedented investments we've made in tenant legal services have helped 100,000 people stay in their homes and off the street."
Over the course of the de Blasio Administration, over 350,000 New Yorkers have received assistance in eviction and other housing-related matters through tenant legal services programs, including the right to counsel program, the nation’s first and largest initiative that will ensure that every tenant facing eviction in Housing Court has access to free legal services. Of the tenants receiving City counsel in cases where they are facing eviction, over 84 percent have been able to keep their apartments.
Since 2014, the City has dedicated unprecedented funding for legal assistance for tenants facing eviction and harassment, increasing overall investment from $6 million in Fiscal Year 2013 to over $128 million in Fiscal Year 2020.
Through the Universal Access initiative, 400,000 New Yorkers facing eviction are expected to receive legal assistance annually at full ramp up in 2022, with annual funding for legal services for tenants increasing to $166 million. In 2019 alone, 41,000 households representing 105,000 New Yorkers received legal representation and advice, including over 32,000 households representing 83,000 New Yorkers facing eviction in Housing Court. This reflects a 24 percent increase in households served compared to the prior year and a 74 percent increase compared to 2017, before the formal launch of right to counsel. In 2013, only 6,500 households representing 23,000 individuals had City-funded legal services.
The first phase of Universal Access included increasing access to free legal representation in Housing Court to low-income New Yorkers in fifteen ZIP codes across New York City that were identified as having high levels of eviction filings, shelter entry, and rent-regulated housing. During the second phase, five additional targeted ZIP codes were added, one in each borough, for a total of 20 ZIP codes across the city, and in its third phase Universal Access grew to include five more ZIP codes, with additional expansion expected next year.
Protecting tenants is a core part of this Administration’s strategy for confronting the affordable housing crisis. Unlike in New York City where investments in legal services are helping reduce evictions, evictions are up nationwide. As a result, cities across the country are taking notice and looking at this Administration’s programs and successes as models, implementing their own versions of this program to provide similar protections to their residents:
- Cities with established right to counsel laws, programs, and/or initiatives:
- Washington D.C., May 2017
- San Francisco, June 2018
- Minneapolis, November 2018
- Newark, December 2018
- San Antonio, April 2019
- Philadelphia, November 2019
- Localities where right to counsel is being considered and/or pursued:
- Cleveland
- Boston/Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Seattle
- Los Angeles
- Detroit
- Santa Monica
In 2020, the City will also launch a citywide campaign to further spread the word about available resources and continue encouraging New Yorkers experiencing housing instability to reach out. If you or someone you know is facing eviction, our City is here to help. Don’t hesitate—call for assistance today at (718) 557-1379 or visit the HRA Office of Civil Justice website at www.nyc.gov/civiljustice
“A key part of our work to end homelessness is making sure New Yorkers stay in their homes in the first place,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Raul Perea-Henze. “With this drop in evictions, the de Blasio Administration is closing the justice gap for hundreds of thousands of tenants empowered by access to legal services. The Universal Access to Counsel program builds the foundation for healthier communities in New York City and shows the way for other cities grappling with the homelessness crisis.”
“We are laser-focused on keeping New Yorkers stably housed,” said Jackie Bray, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. “In 2013, 1 in 100 tenants had legal representation; today that stands at 1 in 3. We’re making real progress and that means fewer New Yorkers who have to fear eviction.”
“The progress we have achieved driving down evictions, with more than 40 percent fewer evictions in 2019 than in 2013, represents the type of systemic change that we have been focused on since the Administration began and highlights why so many of us came into government: to have a real, tangible impact improving people’s lives and leveling the playing field for all,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “When we started, only 1 in 100 tenants facing eviction in housing court had a lawyer or access to legal services. Too often, when I was a Legal Aid lawyer, my clients had to navigate a complex process stacked against them. Our City’s right to counsel initiative has turned the tables for regular New Yorkers, with 1 in 3 tenants now receiving City-funded legal services in eviction cases. These investments to protect tenants are not only keeping New Yorkers in their homes, they are preserving stability and affordable housing across the five boroughs.”
“Thanks to our City’s first-in-the-nation Universal Access to Counsel initiative, New York is leveling the playing field and leading the way in ensuring that tenants have the day in court that they deserve” said HRA Administrator Grace Bonilla. “Not only are evictions down, having access to an attorney provides more New Yorkers with housing stability and the opportunity for families and individuals to focus on building their future in their city. We intend to take this progress even further by bringing this vital resource to even more New Yorkers, as we work towards this Administration’s mission of making New York City fairer and more equitable for all.”
“Every day in housing court, our City is committed to making sure tenants have access to free legal help, leveling the playing field like never before,” said Civil Justice Coordinator Jordan M. Dressler. “The Office of Civil Justice is proud of the progress we have made in implementing this historic initiative and we are grateful to our legal provider partners for their unflagging commitment to making justice available for all New Yorkers.”
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