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City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court
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MONITORING & REPORTING
 

Five Minute Justice: In 1986, the Task Force issued the first comprehensive study of the N.Y.C. Housing Court entitled, "Five Minute Justice." The study found that tenants are more often in court without attorneys than owners are, that almost 50% of the pre-trial hearings were completed in only five minutes, and that approximately 80% of pre-trial hearings and half of all trials lasted less than 15 minutes.

The Donaldson Report: In 1993, the Task Force issued a report entitled, "Housing Court, Evictions and Homelessness: The Costs and Benefits of Establishing the Right to Counsel," referred to as the "Donaldson Report," which found that:

  • Only 11.9 percent of tenants were able to afford counsel, although.
  • 97.6 percent of landlords were represented by attorneys.
  • 60% of tenants were financially eligible for free legal representation and that providing counsel could save approximately $67 million spent in homelessness services.

Both studies are often cited in the media, and are used by several institutions for planning and development. In addition, the Task Force is constantly called upon to assist others in their research on Housing Court.

The Task Force is currently working on a report analyzing the effectiveness of HP Actions for tenants. The anticipated completion date for the report is December 2001.

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Information contained on this web site was prepared by the City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court, Inc., a not-for-profit coalition of community housing organizations.

This information was prepared not by attorneys, but by experienced housing advocates and should not be thought of as legal advice.

This web site contains legal information, but it should not be considered legal advice and can not be considered as a substitute legal advice and representation by a qualified attorney.