New York City's program that gives free lawyers to low-income tenants facing eviction was linked to fewer emergency department visits in the neighborhoods with the highest eviction risk, according to a study published October 21 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Across all the ZIP codes the program covered, however, the researchers found no significant overall drop in ER use.
The study also found an unexpected increase in ER visits tied to mental health and substance use after the program arrived. That mixed picture matters for the 26 other U.S. jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, that have adopted similar right-to-counsel policies since New York City launched the nation's first in 2017.
