Residents joined elected officials Thursday to call for passage of the Right to Counsel legislation in New York. 

The measure is aimed at keeping struggling New Yorkers in their homes and slowing down evictions. 

The legislation would ensure that tenants across New York state facing eviction would receive the right to a lawyer. 

Passing in New York City back in 2017, a statewide right to counsel would require the state to partner with nonprofit legal organizations to provide legal advice, advocacy and assistance. 

The Right to Counsel New York City Coalition says that as 1.2 million households are behind on rent, about 220,000 tenants statewide currently face eviction. 

So far, states that have passed the right to counsel include Washington, Connecticut and Maryland.