Facing Eviction, Jersey City Tenants Will Now Get Free Legal Help

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City now has among the highest rents in New Jersey, which gives landlords a great incentive to evict tenants — but in New Jersey, the law protects tenants by only allowing evictions under certain circumstances.

Still, that doesn't mean landlords will follow the law. And when they try to push a tenant out, a tenant may not have the money or time to fight in court.

Last year, a group in Jersey City urged the city to pass a "right to counsel" law like a law in New York City, allowing tenants to get free legal help when faced with an eviction.

On Tuesday, Mayor Steven Fulop, along with council members James Solomon, Frank Gilmore, and Yousef J. Saleh, said they will support "one of the strongest right-to-counsel laws in the nation" for tenants facing eviction. And it will be paid for by developers who contribute to an affordable housing trust, they said.

The legislation will ensure that any and all new development in Jersey City provides funding towards new affordable housing.

"People can’t afford to pay skyrocketing rents, leaving more families at risk of eviction—while developers continue to get away with making record profits at our expense,” said Councilmember Yousef J. Saleh.

“We have made historic improvements to expand affordability and important protections for residents, and this Right-to-Counsel proposal will put the necessary policies in place to further help our most vulnerable families facing unfair evictions,” said Mayor Fulop. “Most people facing eviction can’t afford an attorney to defend their basic human right to housing, and this RTC goes beyond funding their legal needs. It will also add critical funding to expand affordable housing opportunities for low- and middle-income residents for generations to come.”

“Everyone deserves the right to safe, affordable housing—and everyone deserves the right
to keep that housing,” said Councilmember James Solomon. “We all want to reduce the number of
evictions in our city, and to do that, we need to make sure that tenants are fairly represented in eviction court while ensuring that the developers profiting from rising rents pay what they owe.”

“People facing eviction—disproportionately Black and brown communities—are currently not entitled to representation when facing eviction,” said Councilmember Frank Gilmore. “These
are often the people who can’t afford private representation, while landlords and developers who make large profits can and do."

The proposed bill would establish a Right-to-Counsel office where tenants will be connected to legal services and resources like rental assistance programs. It would also establish an implementation oversight board led by tenants.

Read the history of the movement in Jersey City here.

What About Local Rent Control?

Read more about rent control and recent rent hike controversies here: Tenants Fight Back In Jersey City