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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - More renters are getting lawyers during evictions, and that's a good thing
Last year, landlords in Los Angeles filed almost 90,000 eviction cases. These cases are hard on tenants: Beyond just the immediate loss of housing, eviction leads to drops in income, higher rates of homelessness, serious health issues, and even increased risk of death. Yet the vast majority of Angelenos who navigate the complex eviction court process do so alone. That is about to change. Last month, Los Angeles joined 18 other cities, two counties, and five states across the nation where most or all tenants are guaranteed a lawyer when they go to court for an eviction. These 'right-to-counsel' programs improve outcomes for individual tenants, but their impact goes further: They can help to coordinate services, change the way the courts operate, and open up new possibilities for tenant organizing. As researchers who study eviction in the U.S., we urge more jurisdictions to push forward housing justice and stability for renters by extending the right to counsel. These programs are particularly important now. Over the last twenty years, rents have gone up much faster than incomes, leaving half of renters cost-burdened. Faced with these sorts of affordability challenges — and given evidence that homelessness is at an all-time high and rising — the federal government should be taking steps to protect renters. Instead, it is making the situation worse. The Trump administration is proposing shrinking the Department of Housing and Urban Development and gutting key benefits such as Housing Choice Vouchers. Right-to-counsel programs provide an example of what state and local governments can do to step into the leadership void created by federal retrenchment. Pop culture has sold us the myth that every defendant has the right to an attorney. But that's not true. Americans aren't necessarily guaranteed a government-funded lawyer when faced with a civil action such as debt collection, a child custody claim, or a landlord-tenant dispute. They're on their own unless they can afford a lawyer, and most people can't. These civil actions are far more common than criminal cases. In any given year, almost half of Americans have to deal with a civil legal case. Take eviction, for example. An average of 7.6 million Americans face eviction cases annually; only 4 percent of these tenants have lawyers to help them through this rapid, complicated, and deeply consequential process. That started changing in 2017, when New York City established the nation's first right to counsel program. Since then, this movement has expanded protections for renters in San Francisco, Baltimore, Detroit, and dozens of other places. Although programs differ in who receives access to a lawyer and when in the process they can get help, the basic idea is the same: to provide tenants with legal assistance during what may be their darkest hour. For tenants who now have lawyers, these programs make a world of difference. Eviction filings are less likely to result in a tenant being removed by court order, and even those that do result in evictions often leave the tenant owing less money. The benefits to health and well-being are also substantial. For example, the availability of right to counsel during pregnancy reduces adverse birth outcomes among newborns. At the end of the day, a lawyer cannot make up for missed rent. But in our work studying how jurisdictions have implemented right-to-counsel, we have seen how the presence of lawyers defending tenants can lead to wholesale culture shifts in civil courts — something that rental assistance and other one-time interventions don't achieve. We have seen courts where, rather than just rubber-stamping landlords' eviction cases, judges now inform tenants of their rights and postpone hearings to make sure that they are represented. Courts can become a place where advocates and social workers connect tenants with services and resources and diversion is a priority. To meet their full potential, state and local leaders need to provide the stable, long-term funding necessary to launch and run these programs right. That means adequate money for outreach and education so that tenants know that protections are available if they show up to court. It also means sufficient funding to ensure that enough lawyers are available, a challenge that the New York City program has faced. San Francisco provides a model of how to do this right, steadily increasing funding, even expanding support during the pandemic when other programs were being cut. Right to counsel programs are bringing change, justice, and hope for renters experiencing one of the most difficult challenges of their lives. As the federal government pulls back supports and reverses longstanding legal protections for low-income renters, it's time for state and local leaders to work together to expand protections like right-to-counsel in a sustainable way that can help as many families as possible avoid the irreversible fallout of eviction and the risk of homelessness. Peter Hepburn is an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University-Newark and associate director of Princeton University's Eviction Lab. Emily A. Benfer is a professor of clinical law at the George Washington University Law School and a research collaborator at the Princeton University Eviction Lab. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
More renters are getting lawyers during evictions, and that's a good thing
Last year, landlords in Los Angeles filed almost 90,000 eviction cases. These cases are hard on tenants: Beyond just the immediate loss of housing, eviction leads to drops in income, higher rates of homelessness, serious health issues, and even increased risk of death. Yet the vast majority of Angelenos who navigate the complex eviction court process do so alone. That is about to change. Last month, Los Angeles joined 18 other cities, two counties, and five states across the nation where most or all tenants are guaranteed a lawyer when they go to court for an eviction. These 'right-to-counsel' programs improve outcomes for individual tenants, but their impact goes further: They can help to coordinate services, change the way the courts operate, and open up new possibilities for tenant organizing. As researchers who study eviction in the U.S., we urge more jurisdictions to push forward housing justice and stability for renters by extending the right to counsel. These programs are particularly important now. Over the last twenty years, rents have gone up much faster than incomes, leaving half of renters cost-burdened. Faced with these sorts of affordability challenges — and given evidence that homelessness is at an all-time high and rising — the federal government should be taking steps to protect renters. Instead, it is making the situation worse. The Trump administration is proposing shrinking the Department of Housing and Urban Development and gutting key benefits such as Housing Choice Vouchers. Right-to-counsel programs provide an example of what state and local governments can do to step into the leadership void created by federal retrenchment. Pop culture has sold us the myth that every defendant has the right to an attorney. But that's not true. Americans aren't necessarily guaranteed a government-funded lawyer when faced with a civil action such as debt collection, a child custody claim, or a landlord-tenant dispute. They're on their own unless they can afford a lawyer, and most people can't. These civil actions are far more common than criminal cases. In any given year, almost half of Americans have to deal with a civil legal case. Take eviction, for example. An average of 7.6 million Americans face eviction cases annually; only 4 percent of these tenants have lawyers to help them through this rapid, complicated, and deeply consequential process. That started changing in 2017, when New York City established the nation's first right to counsel program. Since then, this movement has expanded protections for renters in San Francisco, Baltimore, Detroit, and dozens of other places. Although programs differ in who receives access to a lawyer and when in the process they can get help, the basic idea is the same: to provide tenants with legal assistance during what may be their darkest hour. For tenants who now have lawyers, these programs make a world of difference. Eviction filings are less likely to result in a tenant being removed by court order, and even those that do result in evictions often leave the tenant owing less money. The benefits to health and well-being are also substantial. For example, the availability of right to counsel during pregnancy reduces adverse birth outcomes among newborns. At the end of the day, a lawyer cannot make up for missed rent. But in our work studying how jurisdictions have implemented right-to-counsel, we have seen how the presence of lawyers defending tenants can lead to wholesale culture shifts in civil courts — something that rental assistance and other one-time interventions don't achieve. We have seen courts where, rather than just rubber-stamping landlords' eviction cases, judges now inform tenants of their rights and postpone hearings to make sure that they are represented. Courts can become a place where advocates and social workers connect tenants with services and resources and diversion is a priority. To meet their full potential, state and local leaders need to provide the stable, long-term funding necessary to launch and run these programs right. That means adequate money for outreach and education so that tenants know that protections are available if they show up to court. It also means sufficient funding to ensure that enough lawyers are available, a challenge that the New York City program has faced. San Francisco provides a model of how to do this right, steadily increasing funding, even expanding support during the pandemic when other programs were being cut. Right to counsel programs are bringing change, justice, and hope for renters experiencing one of the most difficult challenges of their lives. As the federal government pulls back supports and reverses longstanding legal protections for low-income renters, it's time for state and local leaders to work together to expand protections like right-to-counsel in a sustainable way that can help as many families as possible avoid the irreversible fallout of eviction and the risk of homelessness. Peter Hepburn is an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University-Newark and associate director of Princeton University's Eviction Lab. Emily A. Benfer is a professor of clinical law at the George Washington University Law School and a research collaborator at the Princeton University Eviction Lab.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hacker who beamed AI images of Trump kissing Elon Musk's feet was working during taxpayer-funded union time, report claims
The hacker who beamed AI-generated images of President Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk's feet onto federal computers was working during taxpayer-funded union time, according to the New York Post. The person behind the stunt at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was identified earlier this year as a high-ranking union official. However, their name has not been revealed as the matter is still under investigation. The official was working for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 476, a whistleblower, who has not been identified, told Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst. 'Reports of union bosses playing childish games and illegally engaging in partisan political activity while on the taxpayers' dime are the latest in a string of concerning allegations against HUD employees in recent years,' the senator told the paper. 'From bureaucrats relaxing on the beach or sitting in a jail cell while on the clock, the agency has been the poster child for why taxpayer-funded union time needs to end.' On Thursday, the president of AFGE Local 476, Dr. Ashaki Robinson, said the union 'unequivocally denies any involvement in the production or dissemination of the AI video featuring President Trump and Elon Musk.' This 'baseless allegation is another transparent attempt to attack and retaliate against AFGE for engaging [in] lawful activity to advocate for our members and federal employees nationwide,' Robinson added to the Post. 'Official time amounts are negotiated and determined by both the agency and the union, and by law can only be used for employee representational matters, not for political purposes or internal union business.' Ernst, the leader of the Senate DOGE caucus, shared the allegations from the whistleblower in a letter sent on Thursday to Housing Secretary Scott Turner. 'This improper access to the HUD computer system was not only childish and unprofessional, but also potentially illegal,' Ernst said in the letter obtained by the paper. The AI-generated clip of Trump kissing Musk's feet played on TVs in a cafeteria at the department, and included the message: 'Long live the real king.' The incident occurred earlier this year at the peak of criticism against Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. A spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development told the Post that it is 'exploring how to reform the expansive and oftentimes abused flexibility inherent in taxpayer-funded union time.' 'It is egregious [that] the American taxpayer is on the hook for subsidizing the paychecks of union workers while these nefarious actions take place,' the spokesperson added. 'The Department will continue to work with leaders like Senator Ernst to return HUD to its mission-minded focus and stop the wasteful abuse of taxpayer dollars.' Ernst has previously criticized union time funded by taxpayers. As it stands, government employees are permitted to participate in labor activities during working hours. While government unions cannot negotiate pay and benefits, which are set by law, they can negotiate workplace issues. The senator has requested data on taxpayer-funded union time from 24 agencies, and has advocated for legislation to end it. The Office of Personnel Management found that in 2019, $135 million had been used for taxpayer-funded union time. Federal workers can engage in policy advocacy; however, the Hatch Act states that staffers in the executive branch cannot participate in rallies or ask for donations for political campaigns during working hours. The 19-second video of Trump kissing Musk's feet appeared on HUD screens in February on the day that federal workers were ordered back to the office after an executive order ended the practice of working from home. The video played on a loop for five minutes on screens in the building, journalist Maria Kabas reported at the time. 'Building staff couldn't figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs,' said Kabas, citing an anonymous source at the agency.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Cyberpunk behind HUD AI video of Trump kissing Musk's feet was on taxpayer-funded union time: whistleblower
The cyberpunk who hacked into the television system at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in February to display a vile, AI-generated video of President Trump kissing the feet of Elon Musk breached the department during taxpayer-funded union time, a whistleblower has alleged. The hacker — whose name has not been made public because the matter is still under investigation — was identified by the feds earlier this year as a high-ranking official at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 476, a union that represents HUD and other government workers, the whistleblower told Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). 'Reports of union bosses playing childish games and illegally engaging in partisan political activity while on the taxpayers' dime are the latest in a string of concerning allegations against HUD employees in recent years,' Ernst told The Post. 'From bureaucrats relaxing on the beach or sitting in a jail cell while on the clock, the agency has been the poster child for why taxpayer-funded union time needs to end.' AFGE Local 476 President Dr. Ashaki Robinson said Thursday the union 'unequivocally denies any involvement in the production or dissemination of the AI video featuring President Trump and Elon Musk.' 4 The gross video was displayed during a hack of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's TV systems in February. 'This baseless allegation is another transparent attempt to attack and retaliate against AFGE for engaging lawful activity to advocate for our members and federal employees nationwide,' Robinson told The Post. 'Official time amounts are negotiated and determined by both the agency and the union, and by law can only be used for employee representational matters, not for political purposes or internal union business.' Ernst, who helms the Senate DOGE Caucus, relayed the whistleblower accusations in a Thursday letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner. 'This improper access to the HUD computer system was not only childish and unprofessional, but also potentially illegal,' the Republican noted in the letter obtained by The Post. 4 At the time, liberal critics accused Elon Musk of being a shadow president. The revolting clip of an artificial Trump caressing an artificial Musk's feet played on the television sets in a cafeteria at HUD headquarters with the message 'LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.' The breach occurred at the height of criticism of the Tesla and SpaceX boss for his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 'HUD is exploring how to reform the expansive and oftentimes abused flexibility inherent in taxpayer-funded union time,' a HUD spokesperson told The Post. 'It is egregious [that] the American taxpayer is on the hook for subsidizing the paychecks of union workers while these nefarious actions take place. 'The Department will continue to work with leaders like Senator Ernst to return HUD to its mission-minded focus and stop the wasteful abuse of taxpayer dollars.' 4 The AI video had been put on TVs across the Department of Housing and Urban Development's headquarters. Ernst has been a fierce critic of taxpayer-funded union time, a practice by which government employees are able engage in labor activity during working hours. Government unions are precluded from negotiating pay and benefits, which are set by law, but they can bargain over other workplace issues. 'I think that these unions get away with things that taxpayers wouldn't even believe,' conservative political commentator Mary Katharine Ham, an adviser for the Public Labor Union Accountability Committee, told The Post. 'The idea that we pay for federal unions, not just for their salaries, but to use their salaries to do union work when they should be doing what we pay them to do is wild.' Ernst has blasted out requests to 24 government agencies demanding data on taxpayer-funded union time and has pushed for legislation to end the practice. 4 Sen. Joni Ernst has been critical of taxpayer-funded union time. Getty Images for 137 Ventures/Founders Fund/Jacob Helberg The last time comprehensive data on the topic was published was in 2019, when the Office of Personnel Management found that $135 million had been used on taxpayer-funded union time across the government. While federal workers are not prohibited from engaging in advocacy on policy issues, the Hatch Act restricts executive branch employees from participating in rallies or soliciting donations for political campaigns during work. Examples of political activity by HUD employees include participation in events or other activities featuring nearly a dozen Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and more. 'This raises potential Hatch Act violations. These too should be investigated. If union representatives attended the rally while on [taxpayer-funded union time], as alleged, it is possible they did so in violation of federal law,' Ernst wrote. Additionally, Ernst asked for HUD to look into whether employees have been 'misusing their government travel.'
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
NC Gov. Josh Stein: FEMA is broken as we brace for a new hurricane season
NC Gov. Josh Stein: FEMA is broken as we brace for a new hurricane season | Opinion We don't want FEMA eliminated. We need to fix it. If we do it now – if we reduce red tape and focus on getting help to people – we'll be that much more prepared to help the victims of the next storm Show Caption Hide Caption Trump wants FEMA gone after Helene response in North Carolina President Donald Trump said he wants to do away with FEMA at a visit in Asheville, North Carolina which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. When Hurricane Helene ripped their homes from them, thousands of North Carolina families used FEMA vouchers to stay in hotels until they could find a place to stay. In early January, many of those families found out that they would be evicted from their hotel rooms on January 11, right when a snowstorm was due to hit North Carolina. As soon as we found out about the situation, our senators, representatives, and I hit the phones, and we were able to secure an extension for people's temporary shelter in hotels. But it shouldn't have taken those calls. The snowstorm was only one example of countless times that, in the wake of a horrible natural disaster, FEMA has shown up too late or not enough. We're seeing this pattern play out again in real time as tornadoes wreak havoc on our neighbors in Kentucky, Missouri and more. We need a federal response to natural disasters, but FEMA isn't working. It's time for real change. More: Trump denies extra FEMA funding to people who voted for him in North Carolina | Opinion FEMA isn't working. North Carolina knows this all too well. First of all, we need to get FEMA started right away on the most important work after a storm: permanently rebuilding homes and businesses. Right now, FEMA focuses on temporary housing solutions after a storm hits, while states wait on HUD, usually for well over a year, to fund permanent housing repairs. This costs the federal government thousands of dollars in temporary housing payments and makes homeowners wait even longer to move back home. Let's shrink that time and cost by charging FEMA with getting people's homes permanently repaired so they can move back in faster. That'd be better for both homeowners and taxpayers. Second, applying for federal help is way too complicated. People have to fill out complex applications for support from FEMA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration – all after experiencing a life-changing disaster. We could make FEMA a single front door to people who need a federal disaster response, using a single application form. FEMA experts can then work with disaster survivors to get them the support they need. Third, we need to do better by local governments. There's no time to waste in disaster recovery, so currently, local governments pay for debris removal and repairs upfront. Then they have to wait for reimbursement from FEMA. These towns are already facing cash flow issues from the disaster, and having spent their own dollars on cleanup, they still have to figure out how to keep essential services going, whether paying teachers or picking up trash. Instead, states should receive funds up front through a block grant, so long as they've pre-submitted an action plan to the federal government even before disasters strike. Once FEMA approves the plan, it would pre-fund the work after the disaster, rather than delay reimbursements for months. This would enable local governments to respond to storms more quickly and with less financial disruption. And FEMA could focus on monitoring and oversight, as well as working with officials on the ground to provide flexibility when needed. We don't need to eliminate FEMA to fix our federal response Of course, states must be accountable for federal support. But FEMA needs to be held accountable, too. Once FEMA has agreed to send funds—whether to individuals, states, or local governments—recipients should see those funds within 14 days. That expectation should go for all recovery efforts, not just Hurricane Helene. There's a lot of room for improvement, but FEMA is doing some things right. Because it is a federal agency, it has a much larger capacity to handle all the administration of disaster response, a capacity that most states don't have. States simply do not have the capacity to take in individual applications and get people immediate cash assistance the way that FEMA can. FEMA is also a repeat actor, so it has greater technical knowledge to help people and towns get the right assistance. And they help train local governments for success, so that they're prepared to meet people's needs. We've got to fix what's wrong with FEMA, but we literally cannot afford to throw out what's right. When I've talked to people who have applied for FEMA assistance, I've learned that the path to getting help is far too often full of hurdles during what's already an immensely difficult time. These changes I'm proposing won't just make it easier and faster for folks to access critical information or disaster aid. They will also provide compassion and dignity for survivors in a time of great distress. As I'm writing, North Carolina is staring down yet another hurricane season. Tornadoes have ravaged several states in recent weeks, and thousands more Americans are looking to FEMA for help. We can't just wait for FEMA to resolve itself. We don't want FEMA eliminated. We need to fix FEMA. If we do it now – if we reduce red tape and focus on getting help to people – we'll be that much more prepared to help the victims of the next storm. Josh Stein is the 76th governor of North Carolina.
