Study: Major Benefits Seen in Investing in Counsel for Low-Income Tenants Facing Eviction

On Nov. 13, 2018, the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Civil Gideon and Access to Justice Task Force released a landmark cost-benefit study that addressed in detail the benefits to low-income tenants—and to the city of Philadelphia—of providing legal representation to tenants facing eviction in court proceedings. The study, conducted over the course of more than a year by Chicago-based Stout Risius Ross, LLC (Stout), drew a remarkable conclusion: if the city of Philadelphia invested $3.5 million per year to fund counsel for low-income tenants, the city would save $45.2 million per year in other costs and expenses.