San Francisco's "Right to Counsel" law, which gives tenants facing eviction the right to a lawyer, has prevented 800 people from becoming homeless since it was passed in 2011, according to a new city report.
Since 83% of those cases involved extremely low-income people, the law is a "remarkable success story," reports the San Francisco Chronicle, which notes that one of the leading causes of homelessness in the city is eviction.
The entire cost of the program is $17.7 million; the city spends more than $600 million a year helping people who have become homeless find housing and services.
But the city is facing a huge budget deficit, and supporters of the program are worried it might not survive intact.
"One of the most effective way San Francisco has prevented homelessness in the past five years is a law that gives tenants facing evictions the right to a lawyer," writes Tim Redmond at 48hills.
"And funding for that program could be an issue in the mayor's upcoming budget."
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