Loading...
a. Subject to appropriation, the coordinator shall establish a program to provide access to legal services for covered individuals in covered proceedings in housing court and shall ensure that, no later than June 1, 2021:
1. All covered individuals receive access to brief legal assistance no later than their first scheduled appearance in a covered proceeding in housing court, or as soon thereafter as is practicable; and
2. All income-eligible individuals receive access to full legal representation no later than their first scheduled appearance in a covered proceeding in housing court, or as soon thereafter as is practicable.
b. Subject to appropriation, no later than October 1, 2017, the coordinator shall establish a program to provide access to legal services in administrative proceedings of the New York city housing authority for tenants of buildings operated by the New York city housing authority who have been served with charges in such administrative proceedings for termination of tenancy and shall ensure that, no later than June 1, 2021, all such tenants receive access to such legal services no later than their first scheduled appearance in such administrative proceedings, or as soon thereafter as is practicable.
c. The coordinator shall estimate annually the expenditures required for each year of implementation of the programs described by subdivisions a and b of this section. Beginning December 1, 2021 and no later than each December 1 thereafter, the coordinator shall publish a summary of any changes to such estimates for expenditures.
d. The coordinator shall annually review the performance of designated organizations.
e. The coordinator shall require each designated organization to identify the geographic areas for which such organization will provide legal services. For each such geographic area, the coordinator shall maintain a list of such organizations that provide such legal services.
f. Any legal services performed by a designated organization pursuant to this chapter shall not supplant, replace, or satisfy any obligations or responsibilities of such designated organization pursuant to any other program, agreement, or contract.
g. Nothing in this chapter or the administration or application thereof shall be construed to create a private right of action on the part of any person or entity against the city or any agency, official, or employee thereof.
(L.L. 2017/136, 8/11/2017, eff. 8/11/2017; Am. L.L. 2021/054, 5/11/2021, eff. 5/11/2021)
a. Following the establishment of the programs described by section 26-1302, the coordinator shall hold one public hearing each year to receive recommendations and feedback about such programs.
b. Such hearing shall be open to the public, and the coordinator shall provide notice of such hearing, no less than 30 days before such hearing, by:
1. posting in the housing court in the designated citywide languages;
2. posting in public offices of the department of social services/human resources administration in the designated citywide languages; and
3. outreach through local media and to each designated organization, local elected officials, the supervising judge of the housing court, and community-based organizations.
c. At such hearing, written and oral testimony may be provided.
d. The coordinator shall cause a transcript of such hearing to be produced and shall post such transcript online no later than 45 days after the meeting.
(L.L. 2017/136, 8/11/2017, eff. 8/11/2017)
a. No later than September 1, 2018 and annually by each September 1 thereafter, the coordinator shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post online, a review of the program established pursuant to subdivision a of section 26-1302 and information regarding its implementation, to the extent such information is available, including, but not limited to:
1. the estimated number of covered individuals;
2. the number of individuals receiving legal services, disaggregated by the following characteristics of such individuals:
i. borough and postal code of residence;
ii. age of head of household;
iii. household size;
iv. estimated length of tenancy;
v. approximate household income;
vi. receipt of ongoing public assistance at the time such legal services were initiated;
vii. tenancy in rent-regulated housing; and
viii. tenancy in housing operated by the New York city housing authority;
3. outcomes immediately following the provision of full legal representation, as applicable and available, including, but not limited to, the number of:
i. case dispositions allowing individuals to remain in their residence;
ii. case dispositions requiring individuals to be displaced from their residence; and
iii. instances where the attorney was discharged or withdrew.
4. non-payment and holdover petitions filed in housing court, warrants of eviction issued in housing court, and residential evictions conducted by city marshals, disaggregated by borough.
b. No later than September 1, 2018 and annually by each September 1 thereafter, the coordinator shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post online, a review of the program established pursuant to subdivision b of section 26-1302 and information regarding its implementation, to the extent such information is available, including, but not limited to:
1. the number of tenants of buildings operated by the New York City housing authority that received legal services pursuant to the program described in such subdivision, disaggregated:
i. borough and postal code of residence;
ii. age of head of household;
iii. household size;
iv. estimated length of tenancy;
v. approximate household income;
vi. receipt of ongoing public assistance at the time such legal services were initiated; and
vii. type of legal service provided.
2. the outcomes of the proceedings immediately following the provision of such legal services, subject to privacy and confidentiality restrictions, and without disclosing personally identifiable information, disaggregated by the type of legal service provided; and
3. the expenditures for the program described by such subdivision.
c. No later than December 1, 2022, and every December 1 thereafter, the coordinator shall submit to the speaker of the council, and post online, a report on community engagement and education conducted pursuant to section 26-1306 in the previous year. The report shall include metrics from designated community groups, including but not limited to the number of buildings in which outreach was conducted, the number of know your rights education sessions held, the number of attendees at those education sessions, the number of people referred to nonprofits and the number of community forums conducted.
(L.L. 2017/136, 8/11/2017, eff. 8/11/2017; Am. L.L. 2021/053, 5/11/2021, eff. 11/7/2021)
a. For purposes of this section, the term "designated community group" means a not-for-profit organization that has the capacity to conduct tenant outreach, engagement, education and information provision, as determined by the civil justice coordinator.
b. Subject to appropriation, the coordinator shall work with designated community groups, including groups that primarily serve persons 60 years of age or older, to make efforts to educate and inform tenants about their rights in housing court, including but not limited to holding know your rights education sessions, distributing written information to tenants and facilitating referrals of tenants to designated community groups. Such education and information shall be available in any designated citywide language as defined in section 23-1101.
(L.L. 2021/053, 5/11/2021, eff. 11/7/2021; Am. L.L. 2023/020, 2/19/2023, eff. 8/18/2023)