Mayor’s Office Releases Blueprint for Future of Fair Housing

New Fair Housing Litigation Unit will use “secret shoppers” to test the housing market for discrimination and hold bad actors accountable. On January 7, 2020, the Office of the Mayor released the Where We Live NYC Draft Plan for public review. Where We Live NYC is a comprehensive plan to advance opportunity for New Yorkers by promoting fair housing and undo intentional policies and practices of segregation and inequity. The Draft Plan analyzes the state … <Read More>


City Announces Outposted Therapeutic Housing Units To Be Added to Bellevue and Woodhull Hospitals

Outposted Therapeutic Housing Units at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull will improve access to care for incarcerated individuals with complex medical, mental health, and substance use needs. On November 26, 2019, the Office of the Mayor announced plans to open Therapeutic Housing Units through NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services. The units will improve access to care for patients whose clinical conditions require access to specialty and subspecialty care.


De Blasio Administration Changes Affordable Housing Credit Check Rules

New Yorkers applying for affordable apartments now have the choice to avoid credit checks. On August 21, 2019, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corporation announced major changes to Housing Preservation and Development’s affordable housing lottery application. The expanded guidelines will increase access for more New Yorkers to qualify for affordable housing. This change will have an immediate impact for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Besides offering the … <Read More>


Panel Discusses Right to Counsel for Eviction Cases in NYC Housing Court

On November 2, 2017, the Impact Center for Public Interest Law and the Center for New York City Law hosted a discussion on the newly enacted local law which will insure that all low income persons facing eviction will have counsel in Housing Court. Professor Andrew Scherer, Policy Director of the Impact Center, moderated the panel featuring: Marika Dias, Director of Tenant Rights Campaign at Legal Services NYC (LSNYC); Carmen Vega-Rivera, Tenant Leader of … <Read More>


$93 Million to Fund Universal Legal Access in Housing Court

The Mayor’s Administration and City Council move to create universal access for tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. On February 12, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito jointly announced that the City government will now fund universal access to legal services for tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. The City will allocate an additional $93 million to this effort—effectively doubling the existing fund for Housing Court legal services. This announcement … <Read More>


Three-Quarter Housing: Council Seeks to Address Blight [UPDATE: City Council Approves Legislation]

UPDATE: On February 1, 2017, the City Council voted 47-0 to approve four bills that would help protect tenants of three-quarter houses in New York City. During the vote, Council Member Donovan Richards called three-quarter houses a wide spread problem that would not be cured by the bills and that the City would need to track progress on the issue to determine future responses. Council Member Ritchie Torres called predatory operators of three-quarter houses the … <Read More>