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IBO: right‑to‑counsel eligibility has surged while funding stalled, driving fall in full representation
Summary
The Independent Budget Office told the Council that eligible cases for universal access to counsel grew sharply between 2017 and 2024 while city spending did not keep pace. IBO reported longer case lengths, elimination of rollover counting in 2023, and a shift toward more brief assistance and fewer full representations.
The New York City Independent Budget Office summarized its recent analysis of the Right to Counsel program, telling the Council that eligibility for free legal assistance in housing court has increased dramatically since the program began and that contract and funding structures have not adjusted to the new reality.
IBO testified that the program’s geographic roll‑out was accelerated during a period of unusually low eviction filings and that, by 2024, the number of cases eligible for the program had grown by an estimated 222% from 2017 levels. The office warned this increase, combined with longer case lengths after the…
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