New York City Gives 'Squatters' Free Lawyers

Residents in New York City who are accused of being squatters can qualify for free legal assistance, a housing lawyer told Newsweek on Wednesday.

Squatting has emerged as a top-button issue in recent weeks after incidents in New York captured headlines creating the impression of a crisis. However, experts have pointed out that cases of people establishing residency in properties they have no legal right to are rare.

Asked if someone accused of being a squatter with an eviction hearing in New York City qualifies for free legal assistance, Ami Shah, deputy director of citywide housing at Legal Services NYC, said: "Yeah, they do."

"That language is very laden and we're seeing more and more landlords claim people are squatters and as soon as you look at the facts and the law around their possession of that apartment, in fact, they do have legal rights," she added.