The Economic Impact of Legal Representation in Eviction Cases

This report highlights findings from new research conducted by the Poverty Research Institute on the impact of Legal Services’ representation for low-income tenants facing eviction. Using statewide court data, program outcomes, and comparative analysis of represented and unrepresented cases, the research demonstrates that legal representation through the established Legal Services statewide network significantly improves housing stability and produces measurable public cost savings. The findings show that for every one dollar the state invests in eviction defense and civil legal services, the state avoids more than six dollars in downstream costs associated with homelessness, emergency shelter, healthcare utilization, foster care, and other publicly funded systems. Together, these results provide a strong return-on-investment case for sustained and expanded state funding of eviction defense as a preventative, fiscally responsible strategy.