Right to Counsel: Exploring the Effects of a Housing Reform on New York City Public Elementary Schools

• In Event: Intersections of Education and Neighborhood, Housing, and Transportation Policies

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which the Right to Counsel policy is associated with a decrease in chronic absenteeism rates and an increase in attendance rates at New York City public elementary schools. Using a difference-in-differences model, I hypothesized that the Right to Counsel policy in New York City will be associated with an increase in attendance rates and a decrease in chronic absenteeism rates at public elementary schools. Although I found no statistically significant changes in attendance indicators, this finding could reveal an important need for more housing reform policies specifically designed for households with children.
Keywords: Eviction reform, attendance, chronic absenteeism, housing insecurity

Authors

• Carla P. Wellborn, Vanderbilt University

• Dillon G McGill, Vanderbilt University