San Francisco Right to Counsel Program Prevents Hundreds of Evictions

A city program that gives at-risk tenants the right to a lawyer helped over 90 percent of participants avoid eviction.

1 minute read

April 30, 2024, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of bronze symbolic Justice statue of blindfolded woman holding up scales.

BillionPhotos.com / Adobe Stock

Housing advocates are urging San Francisco’s mayor to continue funding the city’s Right to Counsel program, which offers legal assistance to tenants facing eviction.

As Tim Redmond explains in 48 Hills, the program prevented eviction for 92 percent of its 800 participants. Of these, 83 percent were ‘extremely low income,’ putting them at the highest risk for homelessness.

Redmond points out that the program saves the city money in the long run. “The entire cost of the program is $17.7 million; the city spends more than $600 million a year helping people who have become homeless find housing and services.”

Sunday, April 28, 2024 in 48 hills

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