Legal Aid Society grows along with eviction-defense program

UTICA — The Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. (LASMNY) is growing thanks to its growing eviction-defense program. The not-for-profit law office provides free counsel, advice, and legal representation in civil matters to low-income residents of a 13-county region. Serving Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Otsego counties, LASMNY focuses on elder law, domestic violence and sexual assault, disability, farmworker law, and foreclosures and evictions.

A $270,600 Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) has helped boost growth in LASMNY’s eviction-defense program. The organization will use the funds to develop an online intake portal for eviction-defense referrals for six legal-aid providers in the state, Christina Reilly, managing attorney for the Utica office and eviction-defense program leader, says in an interview. “Housing in general is an item of concern in New York state,” she says. During the pandemic, emergency assistance payments made it possible for people to remain in their homes, but now that the aid is gone, evictions are on the rise. What many don’t know is that landlords who accepted that emergency assistance during the pandemic are prohibited for raising rent within a year of receiving the funding, Reilly notes. Additionally, property owners and managers must give proper notice if raising rents more than 5 percent. When landlords move to evict tenants without giving that notice, LASMNY is there to help. Before the pandemic, many of its clients just walked into the office when they needed help, she says, but now people often call or reach out online. Having a central intake portal will make sure those in need are connected to the right legal-aid provider to help them, she notes. The intake portal will include legal-aid providers outside of New York City. “We together are going to develop this portal,” Reilly says. The goal is to have the portal embedded on each provider’s website, making it easy for people to access. The first step is contracting with a company to conduct an analysis of both intake and delivery methods the providers use. After that, LASMNY will determine how to streamline that service. That will include changes such as allowing clients to schedule appointments online and developing “triage criteria” to determine which clients should be served first based on the urgency of their needs. It’s all about finding the best way to connect people with the services and resources they require. “It’s a three-year grant, but we’re hoping to do it in less than three years,” Reilly says. Housing issues affect more than just the tenants who are evicted, she points out. “A lot of employers are having difficulty luring people into the area because there’s not a lot of safe, affordable housing,” she stresses. Evicted employees are going to be more focused on finding a new place to live than they are on doing their job, she adds. Eventually, Reilly would like to see the portal expand to include all the legal areas the providers cover. In the meantime, the growing eviction caseload and planned growth through the grant means LASMNY is looking to hire at least 15 staff attorneys. Headquartered in Utica, LASMNY also has offices in Binghamton, Syracuse, Watertown, Oswego, and Oneonta.