24Jun 2023 by Charles E. Price
New York City Council members urge city to increase legal services funding – JURIST

New York City Council members urge city to increase legal services funding – JURIST

LEGAL
A majority of New York City Council members on Monday sent a letters to Mayor Eric Adams urging him to drastically increase funding for legal aid services in the city. 26 of the 51 councilors signed the letter requesting $195 million as a “first step in addressing the economic crisis facing these critical programs.”The letter, authored by Councilperson Shaun Abreu, a former tenant rights attorney, referenced several issues facing legal services in the city. He called for increased homicide representation. violet crime in the city, while steadily decreasing, is still experiencing a major increase since 2019. He also called for expanded legal housing assistance. Evictions and other housing issues have grown dramatically since the expiration of COVID-19 housing protections. Legal aid attorneys have been forced to turn down 10,000 housing…
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13May 2023 by Charles E. Price
Legal Aid Society, housing advocates calling for more counsel funding

Legal Aid Society, housing advocates calling for more counsel funding

LEGAL
May 08, 2023, 9:18pmUpdated 4d agoBy: News 12 Staff The Legal Aid Society and housing advocates are coming together to demand more funding to help New Yorkers stay in their homes. Advocates want a city budget increase for the 'right to counsel' – which would provide free legal services to qualifying New Yorkers who are facing eviction. This comes as the rent increase proposed by the city's Rent Guidelines Board looms over the residents of rent-stabilized apartments. Nakeeb Siddique, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, says that there are about 120,000 eviction cases citywide filed in housing courts – and there are concerns that number will rise if increases are approved for the over two million New Yorkers in rent-controlled housing. “We have a huge tidal wave, or tsunami,…
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05Apr 2023 by Charles E. Price
Legal Aid of Arkansas awarded $425,000 federal grant to address housing discrimination

Legal Aid of Arkansas awarded $425,000 federal grant to address housing discrimination

LEGAL
The nonprofit group Legal Aid of Arkansas has been awarded $425,000 by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of an initiative that supports organizations working to address housing discrimination.Legal Aid is considered a second-year grantee under the Private Enforcement Initiative, which "funds non-profit fair housing organizations to carry out testing and enforcement activities to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices," according to a Housing and Urban Development news release issued on Wednesday.The $425,000 grant was the only award to an organization based in Arkansas out of a total of approximately $54 million awarded to 182 groups nationwide as part of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which encompasses the Private Enforcement Initiative as well as other programs.According to Jason Auer, the Fair Housing Project director for Legal…
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31Mar 2023 by Charles E. Price
Legal Aid of Arkansas awarded $425K federal grant to address housing discrimination

Legal Aid of Arkansas awarded $425K federal grant to address housing discrimination

LEGAL
The nonprofit group Legal Aid of Arkansas has been awarded $425,000 by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of an initiative that supports organizations working to address housing discrimination.Legal Aid is considered a second-year grantee under the Private Enforcement Initiative, which "funds non-profit fair housing organizations to carry out testing and enforcement activities to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices," according to a Housing and Urban Development news release issued on Wednesday.The $425,000 grant was the only award to an organization based in Arkansas out of a total of approximately $54 million awarded to 182 groups nationwide as part of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which encompasses the Private Enforcement Initiative as well as other programs.According to Jason Auer, the Fair Housing Project director for Legal…
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