Reps. Lee, McIver, Senator Booker Introduce Bill to Guarantee Legal Representation for Tenants Facing Eviction
WASHINGTON, D.C.– JULY 24, 2025 — Today, Rep. Summer L. Lee (PA-12) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), alongside Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), reintroduced the Eviction Right to Counsel Act, a bold effort to combat the growing eviction crisis by ensuring that low-income tenants facing eviction have access to free legal representation.
The Eviction Right to Counsel Act would establish a federal grant program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support state, local, and Tribal governments that pass legislation guaranteeing a right to counsel in eviction proceedings. The bill prioritizes funding for jurisdictions that also implement additional tenant protections like just cause eviction laws, longer notice periods, emergency rental assistance, and eviction diversion programs—creating a comprehensive strategy to prevent displacement and housing instability.
"Right now in eviction courtrooms across America, 90% of landlords have lawyers while most tenants have none. And it’s no coincidence that Black families, women, and parents are bearing the brunt of it. No one should lose their home simply because they couldn’t afford a lawyer," said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “In Western Pennsylvania and across PA-12, families are being crushed by rising rents, stagnant wages, and eviction threats. This bill is about supporting working people and ensuring they have a fighting chance—and that starts with legal representation. I am proud to partner with Senator Booker and Rep. McIver on this bill to help keep people in their homes.”
“Millions of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck while facing rapidly increasing rent prices,” said Senator Booker. “Renters facing eviction are often left defenseless without an attorney to represent them. By creating a grant program to support communities that offer a right to counsel for those facing eviction, we will make our housing system more equitable and provide substantial cost savings to both local governments and overburdened housing services across the country.”
“No one should lose their home because they can’t afford to hire a lawyer to take on their case,” said Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10.) “The Eviction Right to Counsel Act gives people a fair shot—a chance to fight their cases in court and keep families from falling into the spiral of poverty. Housing is a human right, and this bill takes a critical step toward making sure that right is a reality that people feel.”
“Not only is housing a basic human need, but loss of housing can lead to a cascade of harms to other needs such as health, safety, and liberty. This bill would support states and cities enacting a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction, an evidence-based approach to increasing housing stability and reducing homelessness that has been adopted by cities and states across the country,” said John Pollock, Coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel.
“For years, NLIHC has called for a national right to counsel fund to help renters stay in their homes and mitigate harm when eviction is avoidable,” said Renee Willis, NLIHC president and CEO. “I applaud Senator Booker for introducing the Eviction Right to Counsel Act to ensure low-income tenants have legal representation when their housing is most at risk. Eviction defense attorneys can make the difference between a renter staying in safe, stable housing or homelessness, and the right to counsel helps tenants know their rights and find support in navigating the complicated eviction process.”
The legislation comes amid skyrocketing rents and surging eviction filings. Nearly half of all renters in America are considered cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent. Since the pandemic, rents have risen over 12% year-over-year, while the protections that temporarily shielded tenants from eviction have largely expired. The imbalance of legal power in eviction proceedings leaves many tenants—particularly Black renters and families with children—vulnerable to homelessness, economic instability, and trauma.
Studies show that providing tenants with legal representation dramatically improves outcomes, often preventing eviction altogether and saving local governments millions in emergency shelter, health care, and social services costs. Cities that have invested in right to counsel programs have seen estimated cost savings of more than three times their annual investment.
The Eviction Right to Counsel Act of 2025:
· Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to create a grant program for state, local, and Tribal governments that enact right to counsel legislation.
· Defines "covered individuals" as tenants with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line.
· Covers civil legal actions in court or administrative forums related to:
o Eviction: Forcible removal from a tenant’s primary residence.
o Termination of Housing Subsidy: Loss of subsidies that help tenants afford their homes, which often functions as a de facto eviction.
· Requires jurisdictions receiving funding to provide full legal representation at no cost to covered individuals in these proceedings.
· Prioritizes funding for jurisdictions that have enacted additional tenant protections, including just cause eviction laws, extended notice periods, and eviction diversion programs.
· Allows grantees to use funds for implementation costs such as attorney training and legal resources.
· Authorizes $100 million in federal funding annually for five years.
The bill is endorsed by: the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, National Housing Law Project, and the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.
Congresswoman Summer Lee has been at the forefront of the fight for housing justice in PA12, championing stronger tenant protections and affordable housing solutions.
Text of the legislation is available HERE.
Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.