UPPER WEST SIDE — Tens of thousands of dollars in City Council funds have been allocated to educate and protect local tenants from landlord harassment.
The largest chunk of complaints and requests for help logded by Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal's office comes from tenants worried about losing their homes, she said.
Out of the 2,845 issues brought to Rosenthal's office last year, 1,614 were housing-related, said Rosenthal's chief of staff, Marisa Maack.
"We get constituents [visiting the office] every day talking about tenant harassment," Rosenthal said.
In the vast majority of cases brought to New York City's Housing Court, tenants don't have access to legal representation because they can't afford it, while their landlords can, creating an uneven playing field, the councilwoman explained.
Councilman Mark Levine introduced a bill in March of 2014 that would provide any low-income tenant facing eviction or foreclosure with free legal counsel during housing court proceedings.
The bill has not been voted on by the Council, so in the meantime nonprofits that serve residents being threatened and pushed to vacate their rent-regulated apartments are vital, she said.
The funding will be spread out among the Goddard Riverside Community Center, Legal Aid Society, Manhattan Legal Services and MFY Legal Services, Inc., organizations that can offer free legal representation and advice to tenants facing harassment or eviction.
Another portion of the $40,000 will go to housing clinics and workshops meant to educate tenants about their rights. There's also funding for tenant organizing and advocacy work on these issues.
Constituents "depend on this legal advice," Rosenthal added. "It helps them stay in their homes."
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