Each year, tens of thousands of eviction cases are filed in Los Angeles. Combined with a shortage of housing, high rents and wages that haven’t kept up with inflation, it is, in the words of Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, “a horrific, perfect storm.”
Until recently, tenants faced that storm largely alone. In 2018, only 4% of tenants had legal representation in eviction proceedings, compared to 83% of landlords. Unsurprisingly, most unrepresented tenants lost their cases — often leading to cascading consequences: homelessness, job loss, long-term housing instability and disrupted schooling for children.
But last year, both the City and County of Los Angeles passed right to counsel ordinances, guaranteeing legal representation to eligible tenants facing eviction. These policies build on years of work by local government leaders, tenant advocates, legal service providers and community organizations, and on clear evidence that legal assistance improves housing stability and outcomes for renters facing eviction.
In a region with over 1.8 million renter households, the impact will be significant — helping an estimated 70,000 residents over the next five years.
A Growing Problem
By 2018, Los Angeles had reached a breaking point. Housing supply lagged demand, rents were among the highest in the country, and homelessness was rising. More than half of renter households — over 650,000 — were rent-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income toward rent.
For many families, one unexpected expense was enough to trigger a missed rent payment and, potentially, an eviction.
This instability showed up starkly in the court system. Roughly 60,000 evictions were filed across the county each year. In two out of five cases, landlords won by default because tenants didn’t appear in court — often because they didn’t understand the process or their rights. And when tenants did appear, only 4% had legal representation, compared to 83% of landlords.
The consequences were severe and long-lasting. Eviction often forced families into worse housing, more disadvantaged neighborhoods or homelessness. Even after the immediate crisis, an eviction record could follow tenants for years — damaging credit, limiting housing options, and contributing to job loss and poor health.
Finding a Solution
Searching for solutions, local government leaders found inspiration in other jurisdictions. New York City and San Francisco had recently adopted right to counsel ordinances and were seeing promising results: more tenants staying in their homes and fewer eviction filings overall.
At the same time, tenant leaders and advocates in Los Angeles, including Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, were advancing their own vision through the Los Angeles Renters’ Right to Counsel Coalition. Together with government partners, they helped shape a three-part strategy to address their local needs and context: guaranteed legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction, emergency rental assistance, and stronger education and outreach about tenant rights.
Then the pandemic hit, upending the job and housing market. Eviction moratoriums provided temporary relief, but leaders across government and the community knew a surge in eviction filings was likely once protections expired. The question became urgent: how to prevent a wave of displacement and homelessness when renters were even more vulnerable than before?
Testing and Proving the Solution
In July 2021, the City and County, along with community organizations and legal service providers, launched Stay Housed LA. Funded in part by federal pandemic relief dollars, the program provided tenants with legal assistance, education and outreach — effectively piloting a right to counsel model in high-need areas.
Since its launch, Stay Housed LA has provided legal services to over 33,000 tenants and full legal representation to over 11,000. About half of all tenants receiving help were able to stay in their homes. Another 40% achieved “soft landings” — negotiating additional time to move or avoiding the long-term consequences of an eviction record.
For local leaders and advocates, Stay Housed LA was further proof that leveling the playing field in eviction court worked to increase housing stability.
In 2022, Los Angeles leaders and community partners joined a Solutions Sprint alongside 13 other jurisdictions working to expand access to tenant legal services. The Sprint — run by Results for America, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, PolicyLink, Red Bridge Strategies and Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom — connected jurisdictions with local and national experts to accelerate implementation.
The Los Angeles team focused on turning Stay Housed LA into a permanent policy — drafting aligned city and county ordinances to guarantee a right to counsel for low-income tenants. At the same time, they confronted a critical question: how to sustain the program once temporary federal funding ran out.
Securing Funding and Scaling Up
Voters and policymakers stepped in to help close the gap. In November 2022, Los Angeles City voters approved Measure ULA, a tax on high-value real estate transactions to fund affordable housing and homelessness prevention. Ten percent of its revenue — $68.3 million since 2023 — has been dedicated to eviction prevention and defense.
In the unincorporated county, voters later approved Measure A, a sales tax to support housing and homelessness prevention efforts, including $5.7 million for tenant protection programs in fiscal year 2025-2026.
Meanwhile, policymakers moved to formalize the program. In February 2023, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion to develop a right to counsel ordinance. The City’s analysis found significant benefits from legal assistance provided through Stay Housed LA, including over $8 million in the short-term and over $4 million in the long-term through reduced displacement and improved stability.
The County followed a similar path, directing staff to prepare an ordinance and plan for providing legal assistance to eligible tenants countywide (outside the City of Los Angeles) by 2030. In July 2024, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance.
Supervisor Holly Mitchell, a leading champion, pointed to the program’s early results:
“Stay Housed LA has facilitated over 1,800 full scope legal cases for the county residents who live outside the city of Los Angeles. Nearly 97% of these have resulted in either the tenants (staying) in their home, or a favorable settlement to move to a new place. This data demonstrates this program’s important impact for our county residents.”
Shortly thereafter, in April 2025, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved its own right to counsel ordinance, phasing in citywide access for tenants who cannot afford legal representation.
As Councilmember Raman put it:
“Establishing a Right to Counsel program is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do … keeping people in their homes and combating the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline that has exacerbated the homeless crisis for years.”
What Other Communities Can Learn
Los Angeles’ progress reflects years of collaboration between government leaders and community advocates and legal organizations. As they tested and ultimately committed to scaling a tenant right to counsel, several factors helped drive success:
Build broad coalitions. Housing affordability is a regional challenge and Los Angeles responded with a coordinated city and county approach. Leaders also partnered with community and legal organizations, drawing on their expertise and deep relationships with residents, in order to craft a policy that would deliver the intended outcomes.
Learn from others. Local leaders looked to early adopters like New York City and San Francisco for inspiration. Participation in Results for America’s Solutions Sprint also connected them with peer jurisdictions, creating a network for sharing learning and problem-solving.
Test before scaling. Stay Housed LA began as a targeted effort in high-need areas, allowing leaders to focus resources, refine the model and demonstrate impact. The early results helped build the case for expanding and codifying a right to counsel.
Pair policy with funding. Initial investments from federal pandemic relief funds made it possible to launch and test the program. But long-term success required dedicated funding — accomplished through voter-approved special taxes — ensuring the program could scale and endure.
Jadeen Samuels is the manager for Results for America’s Solutions Accelerator.
