Los Angeles County to Establish Right to Counsel Ordinance Providing Guaranteed Legal Representation to Residents at Risk of Becoming Unhoused

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — In a landmark vote, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Hilda L. Solis to establish a Right to Counsel ordinance and universal access to legal representation through the Stay Housed L.A. initiative. The motion calls for the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), County Counsel, and other impacted County departments to return before the end of next year with eligibility requirements, sustainable funding sources, and an ordinance to codify that will make available, for the first time, legal representation at no-cost for qualified tenants facing eviction in unincorporated communities.

“Legal representation is often unaffordable and inaccessible for many working people, especially when hit with an eviction notice. Right to Counsel allows us to remove these barriers and helps thousands of residents maintain their housing” said Supervisor Mitchell, representing the Second District. “This is a necessary part of our strategy to end homelessness and sets us on a path to provide universal access to legal representation – a resource that every Angeleno deserves.”

“No one, absolutely no one, should ever have to face eviction without the opportunity to be legally represented. Having a right to counsel will help level the playing field for tenants in court with landlords,” said Supervisor Solis, representing the First District. “This is about justice. This is about equity. This is about cementing Los Angeles County’s guiding principle—serving as a safety net for our most vulnerable.”

According to national data from The Center for American Progress, an estimated 10 percent of tenants facing eviction in the County have legal representation compared to 90 percent of landlords. In 2020, $2 million in Measure H Funds along with additional investments from the County and philanthropy, launched Stay Housed L.A.- the County’s comprehensive eviction defense program, that provides a full range of critical services, including short-term rental assistance and legal aid to stem the tide of residents becoming unhoused. The County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs projects that within this year alone, over 15,000 residents who live in unincorporated communities and cities outside of Los Angeles, will seek SHLA’s services.

Currently, SHLA’s capacity to serve residents is outnumbered by the growing demand for its homelessness prevention services. To help ensure the eviction protections provided by SHLA can reach more residents regardless of their income, the motion also calls for the County’s Chief Executive Office to allocate $5,000,000 to help supplement SHLA’s budget and for Department of Business and Consumer Affairs to work with cities throughout the County to develop funding models that will allow SHLA to quickly stand-up services.

“Renters make up the majority of every part of Los Angeles County. To achieve housing justice, we must ensure that renters have the resources to assert their rights when facing the loss of their homes. We applaud the leadership of Supervisors for their work on supporting tenants and Right to Counsel,” said Sasha Harnden, Senior Public Policy Advocate at the Inner-City Law Center and a member of the L.A. Right to Counsel Coalition.

To read the full motion, click here.