FEB 1—SeniorLAW Center has been proud to provide free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction or other legal battles involving their right to housing. Our work, as well as the advocacy of our partners across the city, has allowed hundreds of clients to achieve justice in housing, when the prohibitive cost of legal representation might have otherwise led to their eviction without cause. Now, effective today, Philadelphia will extend guaranteed legal representation to tenants across the city, in the city’s new pilot program establishing right-to-counsel for low-income residents.
The Philadelphia City Council had previously passed the Right to Counsel bill in 2019, in response to Philadelphia’s high eviction rates. Today, in further response to surging eviction rates brought on by the pandemic, Philadelphia will now guarantee legal representation for the city’s tenants, starting with two zip codes—19139 and 19121—with more zip codes expected to be covered in the future.
To access Right to Counsel, tenants in the above-mentioned zip codes can call the Philly Tenant Hotline at 267-443-2500. SeniorLAW Center will provide legal resources and representation as part of the pilot program, as well as our partners at Community Legal Services, Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Philadelphia VIP, and Tenant Union Representative Network.
Read the article here to learn more about the program, as well as SeniorLAW Center’s role in its institution.