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Legal services advocates push restoration and expansion of state housing public‑benefits funding and eviction prevention assistance
Summary
Legal aid groups told legislators the state should restore and expand funding for housing public‑benefits advocacy that pairs eviction lawyers with public‑benefits specialists to convert crisis cases into long‑term subsidy outcomes.
Legal Services NYC and other legal aid providers told the joint committees about a multi‑site housing public‑benefits initiative that combines eviction defense with public‑benefits advocacy and rental subsidy navigation.
Legal Services NYC described a first‑year award of $10 million (administered through OTDA) for a pilot program to fund public‑benefits advocates who work with housing attorneys; they said the initiative scaled intake and outcomes quickly and had shown a sharp increase in the number of tenants who obtained permanent rental subsidies or increased income that resolved arrears.
A Housing Public Benefits model example: Legal Services gave a case example of an elderly disabled veteran facing a $33,000 arrears claim. By pairing a housing attorney with a public benefits advocate, the veteran obtained $29,000 in subsidy to cover arrears and secured an ongoing monthly rental subsidy and food assistance; the provider said the program moved cases from one‑off arrears payments to durable subsidy solutions.
Advocates asked the Legislature to restore and expand the funding pool for New York City, and to increase the overall citywide allocation to $30 million so that Legal Services NYC and other providers can maintain the expanded staff and services now operating across the five boroughs. They also urged similar support for providers statewide, noting that some non‑NYC providers receive smaller shares of a larger statewide pot and that demand outstrips supply.
Why it matters: The model focuses on short‑term legal defense while pursuing durable subsidy solutions and benefit stabilization that reduce future legal exposure and shelter reliance. Lawyers and benefits advocates said the approach shifts resources from repeated emergency relief toward long‑term affordability outcomes.
