New York Legal Assistance Group

ICYMI: Applications for NYLAG's Equal Justice Works/Skadden Foundation Fall of 2025 fellowship are due next week, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Learn more about the opportunity and the application process here: https://lnkd.in/dbA9aAga

In today’s digital age, financial scams have become increasingly sophisticated, targeting individuals and families from all walks of life. For individuals and communities already contending with the burdens of economic, racial, and social inequities, these scams can have an especially devastating impact on their financial stability. NYLAG Financial Counselor, Kamron Rustamov shared four actionable tips on how to identify and combat these scams, ensuring the protection of your hard-earned money. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ew3KgaeZ

🆕 ICYMI: After 15 years, NYCHA will reopen the waitlist for its Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, from June 3rd to June 9th. Access to stable, affordable housing is key to all pursuits of justice and equity for our clients and communities. We’re glad to see the waitlist for this vital rental assistance program reopen as a first step towards expanding affordable housing access. As our city's housing crisis only grows more dire – particularly for those already impacted by systemic racial, social, and economic injustices – we look forward to seeing more comprehensive steps to follow. Learn more from City Limits: https://lnkd.in/eHYpqEce And apply here beginning June 3rd: apply.section8.nycha.info

Today, NYLAG welcomed our talented summer interns! We can’t wait for them to start diving into our work as civil legal service providers and contribute their skills and expertise in support of our clients and our broader mission to cultivate racial, economic, and social justice. Welcome to NYLAG! 💙☀️

On this Memorial Day, we pause to honor the brave individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. As we pay tribute to those we’ve lost, we must also recognize the needs of veterans living in our communities today. Nearly 20% of military service-members receive a less than honorable discharge, greatly limiting their access to crucial benefits necessary for their well-being and financial security. NYLAG’s Veterans Practice team stands at the forefront of ensuring veterans receive the benefits they’re entitled to. From navigating the complex system of resources and welfare to offering legal assistance through various clinics, NYLAG’s Veterans Practice team crusades for the rights of all veterans. Learn more from NYLAG's Veterans Practice team about their transformative work and why it's so crucial for veterans to have this support ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ewUXHpnC 

Recent budget cuts to Medicaid are exacerbating the growing need for Medicaid and long-term care services, as NYLAG’s Valerie Bogart highlighted at Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC 29th Elder Law Forum.  Her presentation underscored the detrimental domino effect of these cuts on the elder and disabled communities, particularly through CDPAP (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program), a program that allows senior and disable individuals to remain safely in their homes and communities. The disruptions in care for both caregivers and care recipients are concerning, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable solutions. Watch her full presentation: https://lnkd.in/e83ey6f7 

We're thrilled to welcome Annie Whitney to NYLAG as an Equal Justice Works fellow! Annie's commitment to providing both direct representation and systemic advocacy around wrongful deportation orders wholly aligns with our mission and approach, taking on the immediate needs we see in our clients' cases while also working to address the root injustices at play. Learn more about Annie here: https://lnkd.in/efbK-6NJ

NYLAG President & CEO Lisa Rivera spoke with ABC7 this evening about what we expect to see as the City's shelter eviction policy starts taking effect. Some important takeaways: 1️⃣ Further destabilization from shelter evictions — like street homelessness — will only exacerbate the trauma our new neighbors have already endured on their journey. It will also jeopardize their access to legal services and other resources they need to build their lives here. 2️⃣ Immigration legal services can be extremely complicated and take significant time to work through. We can't meet our new neighbors' needs within 30 days, and a policy that displaces them in such a short timeframe makes it far less likely that they can maintain access to our services or any resources they could use to acquire real stability.

What we’re reading: Considering housing is one of the biggest challenges for survivors leaving abusive relationships, we need policies that better reflect their realities and address their needs—from breaking leases to accessing shelter and other housing solutions. Check out this insightful piece outlining how some states and cities are working to better meet survivors’ housing needs: https://lnkd.in/eqR9mqKy

Congratulations to our very own Danielle Tarantolo, Director of NYLAG's Special Litigation Unit, for receiving the New York City Bar Association's Legal Services Award! Danielle's impact litigation work yields far-reaching results to combat injustices across our systems and institutions on behalf of those most vulnerable to their failures and subsequent harm. Partnering with every unit across NYLAG, Danielle and her team amplify our direct services work securing justice for hundreds, thousands, even millions of people to further NYLAG's mission cultivating racial, social, and economic justice in New York City and beyond. More on Danielle's work here: https://lnkd.in/eJ_NbCdF