Statement From Source Document Poa
Since July of 2015, free legal services programs through the Human Resources Administration's Office of Civil Justice have provided approximately 8,000 Inwood residents with free legal representation, advice and assistance for families and individuals facing eviction, harassment by unscrupulous landlords and other displacement pressures. Between Fiscal Year 2013 and Fiscal Year 2019, Administration funding for legal services programs for tenants in need grew from approximately $6 million to $93 million, a fifteen-fold increase. As a part of the Administration's historic continuing investment in tenant legal services, including implementation of the City's Universal Access to Counsel law which makes New York City the first city in the United States to ensure that all tenants facing eviction in Housing Court or in NYCHA administrative proceedings will have access to legal services, HRA's tenant legal services programs will serve Inwood tenants in zip code 10034 and 10040 by providing access to legal services to all low-income households facing eviction in Housing Court in this zip code every year starting in Fiscal Year 2020. Based on current data, this initiative will serve an estimated 10,000 Inwood residents facing eviction every year. Universal Access will also be implemented in the Inwood zip code 10040, the Washington Heights zip codes 10032 and 10033, and the Marble Hill prioritized zip code 10463 no later than Fiscal Year 2022. In addition, the Public Engagement Unit will dedicate staff to conduct proactive outreach to tenants in these zip codes who may be eligible for legal assistance under Universal Access to Counsel law and in accordance with HRA OCJ's expansion timeline. At full implementation, HRA's tenant legal services are expected to provide access to legal assistance for 125,000 households in all five boroughs, or 400,000 New Yorkers, and will level the playing field for tenants facing eviction and displacement.
Narrative
Since July 2015, the City has provided 4,424 households with legal services in Inwood; this includes over 11,070 adults of which 2,958 were children. Between Fiscal Year 2013 and Fiscal Year 2020, Administration funding for legal services programs for tenants in need grew from approximately $6 million to $127 million.