Leyla Martinez is a good example of the problem and its solution. Ms. Martinez, a single mother, had just been evicted from her apartment in the Bronx after a year’s struggle representing herself in the New York Housing Court. Then she was able to contact an attorney at the Urban Justice Center; soon thereafter Ms. Martinez and her kids were back in their apartment. Seventy percent of low-income tenants come to housing court without a lawyer, but those who do have lawyers are 75% less likely to be evicted.
Now the New York City Council is considering a landmark bill that would guarantee low income tenants facing eviction legal representation. An added bonus of the proposed legislation is that the legal expenses incurred by the City will be more than made up for by the savings gained by keeping families out of city shelters.
It turns out that lawyers are not only effective; we are also a bargain.
This excellent NYT article tells the full story. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/27/nyregion/legal-aid-tenants-in-new-york-housing-court.html
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