Our Housing Justice units work to promote housing stability and prevent homelessness among the city’s most vulnerable families and individuals. We take a holistic approach: defending individuals and families facing evictions in housing court; enforcing the housing maintenance code and effectuating repairs; group advocacy work on behalf of tenant associations; and law reform efforts through which we resolve systemic inequities. These units ensure that more and more New Yorkers are able to continue living in their homes and that our city is a place where all of its communities can prosper.

Our Work

Housing Justice Unit-Group Advocacy
The Housing Justice Unit-Group Advocacy works with eligible tenant groups, housing advocates, HDFC coop boards, and groups of shareholders, to promote and preserve affordable housing, improve housing conditions and prevent harassment and displacement throughout NYC’s rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Learn more.

Public Housing Unit
The Public Housing Unit continues to build on the decades-long work that The Legal Aid Society has been doing throughout the five boroughs on behalf of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) public housing residents. Learn more.

Housing Benefits
Our dynamic team of housing advocates and Legal Aid Society (LAS) attorneys work tirelessly to identify and resolve issues related to housing subsidies. Each advocate is extensively trained in the major subsidy programs that our clients rely on, including the Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (FHEPS), Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), Section 8, and City Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS).

The Legal Aid Society has played a pivotal role in shaping case law and policy around these critical programs. When problems arise, our advocates intervene to help clients retain or restore their subsidies—whether through administrative hearings or in Housing Court—ensuring that families can remain stably housed.

Litigation and Advocacy
In collaboration with the Law Reform Unit, we build upon the needs of individual clients to make systemic changes through litigation and advocacy that benefit large numbers of clients with similar legal problems. Through class actions and other affirmative litigation, we seek to enforce the rights of many similarly situated persons or to establish new legal rights. Learn More.

Our Impact

Our Housing Justice unit recently assisted Ms. M, a senior who was facing eviction from her long-term rent stabilized apartment. Ms. M lives with her two grandchildren and supports all three of them on her monthly social security income of just under $1,500. Ms. M had fallen behind in her rent payment after the IRS had begun garnishing a portion of her social security check each month, which left Ms. M without enough to cover rent and other essentials. Our housing staff helped negotiate a payment schedule with her landlord, while staff from our Low Income Taxpayer Clinic succeeded in advocating with the IRS to stop wage garnishments from a previous tax debt, which significantly increased Ms. M’s income. Ms. M has since been able to pay off her rental arrears and has been able to remain in her home with her two grandchildren. Without our intervention, the family faced the loss of their long-term rent stabilized home and potential homelessness.

Additional Resources 

The Legal Aid Society has several ways we can help with housing issues, including an extensive list of Know Your Rights materials. Visit our Housing Get Help Hub for expert advice or to learn how we can help.