“This is a big step forward, and will contribute to a more humane city and economy.”

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.

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.

Right to Counsel has secured FIVE council votes for passage at June 14th's Jersey City Council meeting!

The Jersey City City Council Wednesday night took the first step to establishing a “Right to Counsel” for the city’s tenants.

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.

Right to Counsel JC organizer + Co-Chair Jake Ephros interviewed on WFMU.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

A campaign response to “Jersey City’s eviction proposal will help lawyers but not solve the real problem.”

NYC-DSA’s radio show Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) spoke with members of the Right to Counsel campaign in Jersey City on their organizing to guarantee representation for all tenants facing evictions and other housing issues.

In a letter to the editor, Jersey City renter Rodolfo Santos explains why he feels the city needs right to counsel to keep predatory landlords in check.

Tenants in Jersey City deserve much more than just expanded mediation services, they need to have housing security and the ability to fight back against landlord negligence and harassment.