New York’s Right to Counsel program saw some improvement in 2025 after struggling for years, but it is still performing well below expectations as incoming federal cuts spread anxiety about the program’s future.

Attorneys, housing advocates, tenants and judges testified before the City Council’s Committee on Oversight and Investigation on Thursday, calling on elected officials to fully fund the city’s Right to Counsel program.

The committee meeting was organized partly in response to a recent report from the Independent Budget Office that found that more than half of eligible households are not currently receiving representation in Housing Court despite the existence of the Right to Counsel program.

The RTC program, which partners with legal aid organizations to provide free legal repre

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