Updates
Statement in Response to Lawsuit to Stop RTC
We cannot let a few rich and powerful real estate players determine policy that impacts the over 70% of people who rent in our city.
JC Times: On Right to Counsel, Jersey City Made The Right Choice
“This is a big step forward, and will contribute to a more humane city and economy.”
Shelterforce: Jersey City Grants Free Counsel to Renters Facing Eviction
Jersey City renters can’t keep up with a housing crisis fueled by proximity to New York City. A new right to counsel program, funded by development fees, could help.
HCV Live: Interview #2
Just ahead of the final vote, Coalition Chair Isaac Jimenez spoke with Hudson County View Live on how RTC JC can win a huge victory for tenants.
BIG NEWS: Jersey City RTC proposal poised for approval next week
Right to Counsel has secured FIVE council votes for passage at June 14th's Jersey City Council meeting!
Jersey City Times: Right-To-Counsel Moves Forward
The Jersey City City Council Wednesday night took the first step to establishing a “Right to Counsel” for the city’s tenants.
HCV: Jersey City Council passes amended right to counsel ordinances on first reading
The Jersey City Council passed two amended ordinances for right to counsel on first reading at May 24th’s City Council meeting, which saw a few dozen residents speak in favor of the proposal.
WFMU: Right to Counsel Interview #2
Right to Counsel JC organizer + Co-Chair Jake Ephros interviewed on WFMU.
NJ.com: City council ready to introduce Jersey City’s right-to-counsel program legislation after some tweaks
“We (see) the organizing and advocacy part of this (as) really important…Also working with existing and even not-existing tenant organizations to be really important for making sure that right-to-counsel is administered from the ground up from the level of tenant education.”
The Indypendent: The Long Struggle for Affordable Housing in New Jersey Dates Back to the Civil Rights Movement
In New Jersey, municipalities are still constitutionally required to provide their “fair share” of affordable housing, but there is no longer any elected or state-level body responsible for defining what that means, or for helping to ensure the standard is followed.
HCV: Jersey City RTC advocates march to City Hall as council gets ready for vote
Jersey City right to counsel advocates marched to City Hall from the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza as the city council gets ready to vote on amended ordinances up for reintroduction at the May 24th Council meeting.
LETTER: The Jersey City Council must adopt Right to Counsel (RTC)
From longtime Greenville resident Hakim Hasan: RTC has the potential to protect vulnerable residents from housing injustices and provide them with the legal support they desperately need.
HCV: Hudson County DSA hosts Town Hall about Jersey City’s Right to Counsel proposal
The Hudson County chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) hosted a town hall at the Mary McCleod Bethune Center last night about Jersey City’s right to counsel proposal ahead of next week’s council meeting.
Come to Jersey City: Make It Ours - Tenants Town Hall
Come to our May Town Hall event for a Know Your Rights panel, political education, and an open tenants’ forum.
People’s World: Right to Counsel: Jersey City tenants fight for free lawyers in eviction struggles
“Such a program would be a strong enforcement mechanism, empowering tenants to help the city make sure housing laws are followed and buildings are up to code.”
Call/Email Your Council Member!
Our vote tracker has launched. Find out where your Jersey City Council rep stands on a Right to Counsel for ALL and use this script to get them to vote YES:
ALCU, NJWFP, & Fair Share Housing among 9 endorsing Jersey City right to counsel
The state chapter of the ACLU, the New Jersey Working Families Party, and the Fair Share Housing Center are among nine endorsing the right to counsel proposal in Jersey City.