NEWARK, N.J. (AP) \u2014 Newark is planning to follow New York\u2019s lead and provide free legal services for low-income and vulnerable tenants facing eviction.<\/p>\n
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the proposed ordinance on Tuesday. Last year, De Blasio signed a law making New York the first city in the country to guarantee low-income residents the right to representation in eviction cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are working people, folks who struggle to make ends meet, and before were defenseless if that eviction notice came,\u201d de Blasio said. \u201cThat eviction notice was a death sentence for their home, the vast majority of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baraka said he wants to begin Newark\u2019s program in September, and initially focus on providing services for the disabled, elderly and people who have entered the U.S. illegally.<\/p>\n
He said the program eventually will cost Newark between $750,000 and $1 million, but that while the city is raising the money it will use the services of law firms that have agreed to work on a pro bono basis.<\/p>\n
Baraka didn\u2019t specify how the money would be raised to pay for the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will find a way to raise the dollars to get this done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Baraka estimated that approximately half of the 40,000 annual eviction cases filed in Essex County involve low- and moderate-income Newark residents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) \u2014 Newark is planning to follow New York\u2019s lead and provide free legal services for low-income and vulnerable tenants facing eviction. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the proposed ordinance on Tuesday. Last year, De Blasio signed a law making New York the first city in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[23,2,19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n