Small, Eddie. ” More Right to Counsel Money would help prevent long-feared homelessness surge.” Crain’s New York Business, Vol. 39, No. 16, 2023, P. 22

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In the database article, Eddie Small brings to light that a major contributor to homelessness is eviction.  New York’s eviction moratorium expired in January 2022, as well as the protection and rent relief programs for tenants.  The moratorium was placed during the pandemic and previously stopped landlords from filing new eviction cases. Since it has expired, it has brought many cases with thousands of people being removed from their buildings. A motion that can be taken by the state to help resolve this problem would be to provide more funding for the Right to Counsel law.  Which has a leading campaign that is attempting to make it a right for tenants to have a lawyer when facing eviction. This an agreeable term for both the landlord and tenants, since it would be beneficial to both parties. With eviction rates being anticipated  to progress and become more frequent, securing the funds for Right to Counsel will ensure the state is prepared.

When I first read this article it was a lot of new information that I was uninformed on. I had to look further into the New York eviction moratorium, as well as the Right to Counsel Coalition.  I support the author’s suggested plan on moving forward, as it seems to be a sound plan to help those that are being evicted. Although I do have questions about the upcoming budget plan and if his outlines for the increase of funds are fiscally possible.

  • “One of the main fears about ending New York’s eviction moratorium was that it would promptly lead to a massive surge in evictions and, subsequently, homelessness. This would be a major problem for any city but particularly for New York, where the court and shelter systems are both already notoriously overburdened.”
  • “The city found at the end of 2021 that 84% of tenants facing eviction who had a lawyer got to remain in their home.”
  • “This has been especially true for the city’s fiscal year 2024 budget given the widespread cuts that Mayor Eric Adams has proposed. Potential slashes to libraries and education have received the lion’s share of attention so far,”