Los Angeles City Council adopts right-to-counsel ordinance for low-income tenants

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt an ordinance guaranteeing a right to legal counsel for qualifying low-income tenants.

The measure (Item 45) passed 14-0 after the council added a clarifying amendment specifying that eligible tenants are those at or below 80% of area median income. Supporters said the change makes the ordinance’s eligibility clear and helps ensure the program reaches the households most at risk of eviction.

The ordinance requires the city to provide legal representation in many unlawful-detainer and related housing cases for tenants who meet the income threshold. Proponents said evidence from other U.S. cities shows right-to-counsel programs reduce evictions, prevent homelessness and can save municipal dollars over time.

“Having an attorney in eviction court makes a night and day difference in these tenants’ cases and their very lives,” said Shane Henson of Inner City Law Center, testifying in support of the ordinance. Barbara Schultz of Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and StayHoused LA told the council, “It is time to pass this ordinance today.”

Public comment at the meeting was dominated by tenants, community organizers and legal-service providers who described frequent tenant confusion, language barriers and the difficulty low-income renters face representing themselves in housing court. Dozens of speakers urged the council to approve the measure without additional changes; several said the program would help preserve intergenerational families and prevent homelessness.

Councilmembers who sponsored or supported the ordinance noted the measure has been refined over several years and said immediate implementation details will be advanced in coming months. Councilmember Lee offered a technical amendment that added the 80% AMI eligibility language; Councilmember Martinez supported the clarification.

The council’s vote follows coordinated lobbying from tenant groups, legal services organizations and advocates who said tenants’ lack of representation frequently leads to default judgments and evictions even when tenants have legal defenses.

Councilmembers said the next steps include budget and operational work to stand up the program, set provider contracts or city-operated services and coordinate an enrollment process for eligible tenants.

Votes at a glance

- Item 45: Ordinance adopting a codified right to counsel for eligible tenants (eligible defined as households at or below 80% AMI). Vote: 14 ayes, 0 noes.

Speakers quoted in this article are listed in the article’s speaker roster below. No statements in this article attribute remarks to people not present in the transcript.