Jersey City's 2020 Right to Counsel ordinance provides free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. JC was the fifth US city to adopt this protection after NYC, SF, Cleveland, and Newark.
Tenants earning under 200% of federal poverty level qualify for full free representation in eviction proceedings, with sliding-scale support up to 400% of poverty. Northeast New Jersey Legal Services and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice administer the program with city funding. Studies from NYC and SF show represented tenants prevail or obtain favorable settlements at far higher rates than pro se litigants. The ordinance also funds outreach in Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Hindi reflecting Jersey City's diversity. Landlord harassment, including utility shutoffs, lock changes, and frivolous filings, triggers separate civil penalties under the same ordinance.
Landlord harassment, lockout, or utility termination during a tenancy triggers civil penalties up to 5,000 dollars per incident plus tenant damages and attorneys fees.
Jersey City, NJ
NJ Statute 2A:18-61.1 lists exclusive grounds for residential eviction, blocking no-fault removals of tenants in compliance with their lease unless the owner...
Jersey City, NJ
Jersey City has strong tenant protections including just cause eviction requirements. New Jersey's Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1) requires landlords...
See how Jersey City's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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