Hon. Jaya Madhavan, Bronx Housing Court Ellen Howard-Cooper, NYC Department of Homeless Services...
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![Page 1: Hon. Jaya Madhavan, Bronx Housing Court Ellen Howard-Cooper, NYC Department of Homeless Services Prepared for the ICPH National Conversation of Child Homelessness.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062320/56649cad5503460f94970763/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Housing Court-based Homelessness Prevention
An Evaluation of NYC’s Housing Help Program
Hon. Jaya Madhavan, Bronx Housing CourtEllen Howard-Cooper, NYC Department of Homeless Services
Prepared for the ICPH National Conversation of Child Homelessness and PovertyJanuary 19,2012
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The What and Why
The Housing Help Program prevents homelessness by providing legal and social services to tenants facing eviction from high-needs zip-codes in the Bronx.
Targeting matters in Prevention:
Bronx has the city’s number of eviction filings – over 75,000 per year
Bronx has the city’s highest share of shelter entrants – over 40%
About one of three shelter entrants are due to eviction
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Mapping Bronx Evictions
Bronx Housing Help Zip Codes10452 & 10456
Yellow = Eviction Filings
Blue = Shelter entrants
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4
The majority of families who are evicted and enter shelter do not become engaged in services before homelessness is imminent.
While 95% of landlords are represented by an attorney in housing court, over 95% of tenants are not. This often results in eviction, since tenants can: lack an understanding of legal notices and proceedings lack a defense become intimidated by the legal process are unable to effectively negotiate with an attorney face language barriers.
Eviction and Homelessness
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Housing Help Enrollment 2011
ZIP CODE ENROLLED HHP ENROLLED HB
10456 515 510
10452 336 627
11207 67 588
11691 247 245
Calendar Year 2011
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What makes HHP Unique?
The program is housed in Housing Court and tenants are automatically referred to HHP when they first come to court. HHP cases are heard by two judges who are dedicated to the program.
Staffed by lawyers, paralegals and social workers
All tenants facing eviction meet with HHP staff
HHP tenants have access to a broad spectrum of social services HHP is subject to rigorous evaluation
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Bronx Housing Court
Largest housing court in the nation
Hundreds of thousands of tenants and landlords cycle through the court each year
Court is dedicated to collaborative relationships with multiple City Agencies as well as non-profit providers in order to prevent evictions
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Serving Those Who Need it Most
Unlike the HHP, traditional legal service agencies lack the paralegal, social work, and attorney resources to assist in all cases.
HHP allocates its resources to ensure that virtually all are served. HHP paralegals and attorneys provide hands on assistance to tenants through every step of their case. Self-represented cases are constantly monitored through the final result with full representation available when needed.
HHP is able to target resources to serve more vulnerable families. Even those with cases that do not seem to have legal merit are addressed, providing assistance to those who may need it most.
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Comprehensive Range of Services Legal Services: Brief and Full
70% Receive Brief Legal Services▪ Provided when tenant is unlikely to need full representation▪ Paralegals walk the tenants through the process
Remaining 30% Receive Full Legal Services
Short-Term Social Service Help tenants apply for public assistance Provide financial counseling
Long-Term Social Services Tenants needing longer-term assistance are referred to NYC’s
community-based homelessness prevention program, Homebase
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Community-Based Social Services
Homebase allows households to create a personal housing plan, offering services such as: Legal services, Mediation, Short-term emergency funding,
and Assistance with obtaining
employment, public benefits and accessing other social service.
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Evaluating the Program
Evaluated the program based on the likelihood of entering shelter after program enrollment
Found a control group: Family Anti-Eviction Legal Services Available in all neighborhoods Heavier reliance on full legal services Housing court staff often refer cases to community
offices Traditional model that takes a triage approach
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Shelter Entry Rates
1-Year 2-Years 3-Years0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
2.9%
5.1%
7.6%
4.2%
7.4%
9.4%
HHP FALS
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Interpreting the Results
HHP associated with reduced hazard of shelter entry
Our results may understate program efficacy FALS is subject to two counts of selection bias Comparing HHP to a pre-existing program
Further research required to tease out the impact of individual program features
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Implications and Barriers to Implementation
Can be adopted by localities Needs a willing Housing Court partner Requires a legal and social service team Can be tailored to each community’s needs
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