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Housing

On our Housing pages you will find some useful tools to help you identify state and federal affordable housing programs, and to learn about efforts to protect children – particularly low-income and minority children – from being poisoned and permanently injured by lead-paint hazards.  Attorneys who defend low-income tenants in judicial eviction proceedings can also register for access to our “CATRAP” legal research guide, and there’s a wealth of information on mortgage lending and foreclosure issues.

 

 

ARTICLES

New Housing Task Force Will Zero In on Wall St. (The New York Times)
After failing to produce any major prosecutions stemming from the housing crisis, an expanded federal task force is planning a new tack, cracking down on financial firms suspected of improperly bundling home loans into securities for investors, officials said Wednesday. Read More

Hazard Insurance With Its Own Perils (The New York Times)
Investigators are training their sights on a type of hazard insurance policy known as force-placed insurance, a type of policy that has driven up costs for homeowners and pushed some into foreclosure. Read More

 

 

IN THE NEWS

Empire Justice Statement on Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address
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Rochester faces challenges in reducing lead poisoning
Cases of child lead poisoning, already steadily dropping, were cut in half — until an uptick last year. Read More


Thousands caught in foreclosure
Across Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties, thousands of families have already lost their homes, and thousands more face the prospect of eviction in coming years, as the worst housing crisis in decades plays out across the region. Read More


POLICY ADVOCACY

Highlights from the 2011 Legislative Session
After all the emails, strategy sessions, meetings, Facebook updates and trips to Albany, the 2011 Legislative session closed with a huge amount of excitement about New York’s new civil rights law. Read More


Empire Justice Testimony on New York State’s Draft Child Care Development Fund Plan for FFY 2012-2013
Access to subsidies gives children in low income families the opportunity to engage in an early learning experience that their families could not ordinarily afford. Much of this testimony focuses on areas where we believe OCFS can expand access to child care subsidies to two underserved populations: children in immigrant families and children with special needs. Read More


 

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

Paying More for the American Dream V


Access to mortgage refinance loans sharply declined in communities of color – and increased substantially in predominantly white neighborhoods, according to a report released today by a multistate collaboration of regional research, policy and advocacy organizations, including Empire Justice Center.... Read More

The Mortgage Meltdown II


New York's continuing foreclosure crisis and the need to help homeowners avoid the loss of their homes Read More

 

 

TRAININGS AND EVENTS

Public Assistance Issues for Teens and Young Adults / Housing Advocacy to Prevent Children from Languishing in Foster Care
This presentation will address some of the benefits and assistance available to teenagers, young adults and young families, approximately ages 16-22. Benefit areas covered will include cash assistance, Food Stamps, Medicaid and housing resources for teens and young adults who are living on their own or aging out of foster care. Read More

Representing Homeowners at Mandatory Settlement Conferences
Mandatory settlement conferences are now an integral component to the foreclosure process for subprime loans. The governor has signed a new law that expands the settlement conferences to all residential loans. Pro Bono lawyers have been approved to represent homeowners for the limited capacity of these settlement conferences. This training addresses important considerations for lawyers willing to represent homeowners in this capacity. Read More

Landlord & Tenant 101: The Basics: What New Attorneys and Non-Housing Practitioners Need to Know About Eviction Proceedings
If you are a recently admitted attorney, or an attorney whose work primarily consists of representation in non-housing matters, this training will give you the information you need to advise and represent clients who are facing the possibility of eviction. Read More

New Approaches to Stabilizing Homeowners and Communities in Western NY
This taped broadcast is geared towards housing counselors, legal services organizations, lenders, public officials, community-based organizations, and anyone who is concerned with the impact of the foreclosure crisis on homeowners and neighborhoods in the western part of the State. Discussion topics include information about housing counseling standards, specialized foreclosure trainings, State programs addressing the foreclosure issue, and successful approaches to reducing foreclosures, among other topics. Read More