Immediate Assistance if You are Facing Eviction
As the economic crisis fueled by the pandemic drags on, more and more Upper West Siders are struggling to pay rent and and are at risk of homelessness. Housing has consistently been the number one issue for which residents seek help from my office, and need has only intensified.
Here are four ways to help: Emergency Rental Assistance; an August 3rd Housing Rights Town Hall; Landlord-Tenant Mediation; and Free Legal Advice.
Emergency Rental Assistance: Apply By July 30th
New York State is accepting applications for its Covid Rent Relief Program. The program provides up to four months of rental assistance for eligible households who have lost income due to the pandemic.
- Provides eligible households with a one-time rental subsidy that will be sent directly to the household’s landlord. Applicants will not need to repay this assistance.
- The State will prioritize eligible households with “greatest economic and social need” accounting for income, rent burden, percent of income lost, and risk of homelessness.
- Applicants must have already been paying over 30 percent of their gross (pre-tax) household income toward rent as of March, and then must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.
- As of March 1, 2020, household income must be below 80% of the Area Median Income (less than $63,680 for one person, less than $90,960 for a family of four).
To learn more and apply, click here. If you have application questions, call 1-833-499-0318, Monday through Saturday, 8am -- 7pm. You can also email: [email protected].
Housing Rights Town Hall: August 3rd
Goddard Riverside Law Project will host a virtual town hall on Monday, August 3rd at 6pm about tenants' rights during the Covid crisis. The event will feature presentations from Housing Court Answers, the Law Project, and the Housing Justice for All and Right to Counsel NYC coalitions.
You can join via Zoom, Facebook Live, or Telephone Conference. Register here or by sending an email with your name, address, and telephone number to [email protected].
Mediation for Tenants in Danger of Eviction
This week Mayor de Blasio announced a new citywide Landlord-Tenant Mediation Project to begin to address rent-related issues outside of the housing court system. Mediation puts decision-making power in the hands of the parties involved, resulting in practical solutions for both landlords and tenants.
Non-profit Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs) will assist tenants and small landlords in finding solutions to rental issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to resolve cases before they reach litigation and avoid the long-term effects of an eviction proceeding. The Mediation Project will handle cases in a setting where both parties feel safe, and priority will be given to tenants and small landlords who do not have legal representation.
Upper West Siders can request the mediation service by calling 311 and asking for the Tenant Helpline. Specialists will screen residents for eligibility and refer them to a CDRC in Manhattan.
Free Legal Advice for UWS Tenants
Every year, our office funds access to free legal services for tenants facing landlord harassment and/or eviction. Given the lifting of the NYS moratorium on evictions, these legal services are more important than ever.
This year, I have allocated nearly $200,000 in funding to organizations in our community that provide legal services to tenants and other vulnerable residents. We are proud to work with all of these partners to keep Upper West Siders in their homes -- these resources are for you and your loved ones.
(Next week we will be sending out detailed information about FY21 funding for local schools, and will continue to share important budget updates throughout the next few weeks.)
Goddard Riverside Community Center
Click here or call Goddard Law Project at (212) 799-9638, x0
Funding for Monthly Housing Clinic for District 6 tenants
Take Root Justice
Click here or call (929) 506-0303
Assistance also available with other COVID-19 issues (consumer debt, unemployment benefits rejection, etc.)
Funding for Monthly Housing Clinic for District 6 tenants
NYS Tenants & Neighbors Information Service
Click here or call (212) 608-4320
Funding for Tenant Helpline
Housing Conservation Coordinators
Click here or call (212) 541-5996, Monday evenings, 7-9pm.
Funding for legal assistance & community organizing
Housing Court Answers
Click here or call (212) 962-4795, Monday thru Friday, 9am-5pm.
Language interpreters available. NYCHA tenants also assisted.
Funding for eviction prevention services
JustFix
Click here to learn how to obtain needed repairs and services– with the assistance of an attorney.
Funding for data analysis of tenant & housing complaints
Manhattan Legal Services
Click here or call (917) 661-4500
Assistance available in multiple languages.
Funding for legal services for District 6 residents
Legal Aid Society
Click here or call (212) 426-3000
Funding for legal services for District 6 residents
New York Legal Assistance Group
Click here or call (929) 356-9582, Monday -- Friday, 7am -- 1pm
Also assists with advance planning, consumer debt, employee rights, unemployment & public benefits, special education issues and federal stimulus payments.
Funding for Mobile Legal Van In District 6
Mobilization for Justice
Click here or call (212) 417-3888, Monday thru Friday, 9am – 5pm
Funding for legal services for District 6 residents
Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT)
Click here or call (212) 343-1122
Funding for legal services for District 6 families
Palante
Click here or call (212) 491-2541
English & Spanish spoken
Funding for pro bono legal services & tenant organizing for District 6 residents
My office also helps to support organizations providing legal & other services to those impacted by domestic violence.
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Spread the Word: Open Air Food Pantry Next Wednesday
Lincoln Center and Food Bank For New York City will host a free food pantry distribution event on Wednesday, July 29 at Lincoln Center Plaza (entrance at 62nd St between Columbus and Amsterdam Aves). Distribution begins at 11am and no ID or proof of need is required. Learn more here.
Residents will be able to pick-up grocery boxes with fresh produce, fresh meat provided by Tyson, and shelf-stable products. If you or a loved one are experiencing hunger, help is available now. Visit Food Bank's food program locator for resources across our city.
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We're Here to Help
My office assists people with housing issues, seniors, the disabled, the recently un (or under) employed, the food insecure, and all those suffering the many consequences of this pandemic, to help in any way we can.
Please call (212) 873-0282, leave a message and we will call you back as soon as possible; email [email protected]; or check our website, HelenRosenthal.com. We update it on a daily basis with information about public benefits, non-profit resources, and health facts Upper West Siders need to get through this crisis.
Please stay well and share some kindness with yourself and the people around you.
Warmly,
P.S. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, or have them subscribe to my e-blasts here. Also, follow my social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram.
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