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“New York City has reached its highest levels of homelessness since the Great Depression,” according to Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner in an article on CityLimits.org.  With one out of every nine students in New York City public schools experiencing homelessness in the past four years, the impact on children’s education cannot be overstated.

If you work in New York this free video will help you understand your rights if you are being evicted from your home in New York City.A free video created by Legal Aid Society of New York.

Get acquainted with the basics of "No Fault Divorce," with the video below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22O3nQYYIrMIf your divorce is "uncontested" (see the definition in the link) you can use the NY Court System's Uncontested Divorce self-help form to produce divorce papers that you can file in court. Click on the accompanying video that explains this form. Follow all the instructions on the form. If you need further help, go to www.LawHelpNY.org and click on the LiveHelp button." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1_yUwv--3QFiling for an uncontested divorce?

One of the harshest realities of being a college student and graduate is paying back student loans. Students face significant pressure just getting into college and staying in college, but the pressures continue long after you graduate when you have debt. The recent graduating class of 2015, faces the highest amount of student loan debt, with the average debt being $35k. The total tally of student debt in the U.S. tops out at $1.2 trillion.

What is DAPA? iAmerica provides a brief overview in this short video: According to the NYC Office of Immigrant Affairs:Deferred Action is a federal government program that provides temporary protection from deportation. Deferred Action also allows you to apply for a Social Security number, work authorization, and special permission to allow travel to and from the United States.Deferred Action is not a permanent immigration status. It is not a green card or a path to citizenship.

The foreclosure crisis in New York State is far from over. Foreclosures filings in New York remain high, hovering at more than 40,000* a year since 2013, a number well above pre-recession levels. After reaching a low in 2011 of under 17,000, the number of filings began to creep back up to a level alarmingly close to those seen at the height of the crisis. At the beginning of 2015, there were over 90,000 foreclosure cases pending in New York State Courts.

Is your landlord one of the worst? To find out, check the Office of the Public Advocate’s Worst Landlords Watchlist. There you can see the recently released list of the 100 worst landlords in New York City.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is an interpreter?When people speak different languages, an interpreter helps them talk to each other.  An interpreter can work in person or over the phone.Is what I say to the interpreter confidential?If your interpreter works for your lawyer or someone else who works in a legal office, everything you say to the interpreter is confidential, which means that it is not shared with anyone outside of the legal office.  You have the right to confirm that the interpreter is working under a confidentiality agreement.

Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer launched a series of workshops and forums in early fall 2015, Access Manhattan: Services for Stronger Communities. They have held a number of events since October that will continue through December. On November 4th, there will be a Medicaid/Medicare workshop held at her office, 431 West 125th Street. from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. If you would like to register for this event register here. The event listing states: Having problems with your Medicaid/Medicare health insurance certification and application?

What are the legal services statewide websites? The Legal Services Corporation has funded statewide legal information websites in 54 states and territories. These websites provide accurate, easy-to-understand information in the legal areas most affecting low-income and vulnerable people. These websites also provide information on free legal aid offices (also called legal services) in each state. What is the Legal Services Corporation?