Leasing & tenant law · 10/21/2026
Study Ties NYC Right to Counsel to Fewer ER Visits in High-Risk Zip Codes
A UCLA Health study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine looked at New York City's tenant right-to-counsel program, which gives free lawyers to low-income tenants facing eviction. It found no overall link to ER visit rates, but the first 10 high-risk zip codes saw fewer visits. ER visits tied to mental health and substance use rose, which the authors say needs more research.
MReported by Mirage NewsRead the original ↗
What happened
A new study links New York City's tenant right-to-counsel program to fewer emergency department (ED) visits in the neighborhoods at highest risk for eviction. The program gives free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. Mirage News carried the release from UCLA Health. Newswise also reported the study, but its full article was not available.
The study was led by Katherine L. Chen, MD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Researchers looked at more than 8 million ED visits from January 2016 through February 2020. They counted only Medicaid-insured and uninsured New York City residents. The program started in 2017 in 10 zip codes with especially high eviction risk, high homelessness and limited housing resources, then expanded in phases. The researchers used that staggered rollout to compare zip codes.
Overall, the study found no association between right-to-counsel and ED visit rates. Across all covered zip codes, visits dropped only slightly. In the first-phase neighborhoods, though, the program was associated with more than 26 fewer ED visits per 10,000 residents. Rates stayed about the same in second- and third-phase neighborhoods.
The study also found an unexpected rise in ED visits tied to mental health and substance use disorders in covered zip codes. Chen said the cause is unclear. One possibility is that contact with lawyers led some people to seek care for undertreated conditions. Another is that the legal process added short-term stress. She said the finding needs more research.
Key facts
- Program
- NYC tenant right-to-counsel, free legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction, delivered through contracts with nonprofit law offices
- Launched
- 2017, in 10 high-risk zip codes, then expanded in phases
- Study
- UCLA Health, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine
- Lead author
- Katherine L. Chen, MD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
- Data
- More than 8 million ED visits, January 2016 through February 2020, Medicaid-insured and uninsured NYC residents
- Key result
- More than 26 fewer ED visits per 10,000 residents in first-phase zip codes; no overall association citywide
- Unexpected result
- Increase in ED visits related to mental health and substance use disorders in covered zip codes
- Other jurisdictions
- 26 others nationwide, including Los Angeles, have introduced similar programs
What it means
Tenants and voucher holders
This study does not change any rules or eligibility. It adds evidence that free eviction defense may matter for health as well as housing, especially in the highest-risk neighborhoods.
Caseworkers
The rise in mental health and substance use ED visits after rollout suggests clients in eviction cases may need health and behavioral support alongside legal help. The study does not say why the increase happened.
Landlords
Nothing in the study changes how eviction cases proceed. It may be cited in policy debates over funding or expanding right-to-counsel.
The highlights
- First-phase zip codes saw over 26 fewer ER visits per 10,000 residents.
- ER visits tied to mental health and substance use rose after the launch.
- UCLA analyzed over 8 million ER visits from January 2016 to February 2020.
Why it matters Caseworkers
Free eviction lawyers may bring health benefits in the highest-risk areas, a point caseworkers can share with tenants facing eviction.
What to do: Refer low-income tenants facing eviction to the city's free right-to-counsel lawyers.
Not known yet
- Which 10 zip codes were in the first phase and which were added later
- Whether the people with fewer ED visits were the same people who had eviction cases or got a lawyer
- Why mental health and substance use ED visits went up
- Whether results changed after February 2020, when the data ends
Background
In New York City, most residential eviction cases are heard in Housing Court. Under the city's right-to-counsel law, eligible low-income tenants facing eviction can get a free lawyer from a nonprofit legal services provider under contract with the city. The program has been administered through the Office of Civil Justice within HRA/DSS, and it expanded from a limited set of zip codes to citywide coverage over several years.
Also drawn from: UCLA Health-led study finds NYC tenant right-to-counsel program linked to fewer ED visits in high-risk neighborhoods | Newswise (Newswise)
Summary written by Bulwark from Mirage News’s reporting. The original story is at miragenews.com. This is general information, not legal advice.
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Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0