We need your help to pass a Right to Counsel in Jersey City that:

• Entitles every tenant to an attorney as a right in any eviction.

• Covers all tenants in all housing types, and applies to affirmative proceedings where tenants have to sue their landlords (habitability/code violations, discrimination, improper termination of housing subsidies, enforcement of restraining orders).

• Is funded by those who have created the housing crisis: corporate landlords and developers.

• Establishes an Office of Right to Counsel in City Hall that is accountable to the people.

• Funds implementation, advocacy, and tenant education.

We are in a housing crisis. The pandemic has left millions at risk of losing their homes with rents reaching record highs and evictions exceeding pre-pandemic levels. We are calling on the Jersey City Council to establish a Right to Counsel to protect tenants facing eviction.

When facing eviction, on average only 3% of tenants are represented in housing court, compared to 81% of landlords. Right to Counsel legislation represents a meaningful step towards combating mass evictions and housing instability. 15 cities and 3 states have already passed Right to Counsel legislation, from San Francisco to New York City and even nearby Newark. Studies show that when tenants are represented they are much more likely to win and stay in their homes, get more time when they do have to move, and avoid an eviction record altogether. An extensive report on right to counsel in numerous cities found that right to counsel leads to more than 90% of tenants avoiding disruptive displacement.

Housing is a human right. No one should lose their home without having the opportunity to defend themselves in court. It's time Jersey City level the playing field for tenants. We need to guarantee the right to counsel for ALL tenants.

Additional Links:

Donate to Support this Campaign | Join an Event | Join the Coalition