Getting Help

Each Housing Court has various services available:
Free attorneys who work for the court can answer your questions, but they are only available on a limited basis. Get to court early to meet with these attorneys, who are called pro se attorneys.

Help paying back rent is available if you 1) had an unexpected emergency such as a medical illness, death in your family, were laid off or lost your job or had your work hours reduced, and 2) you can afford the rent in the future. Go to the HRA office in the court to get a referral for assistance. You can also call City-Wide's rent arrears assistance hotline for a referral to a charity: (212) 962-4795. If you cannot afford your rent, apply for help through HRA. You may qualify for a rent subsidy program.

Other resources to help you with your case are available in each court's Resource Center, including access to the Internet. Ask the Court Clerk for the room number of the Resource Center in a particular court. The Civil Court Info Line has recorded information about the Housing Court in English and Spanish (24 hours a day) at (646) 386-5750.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP

The City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court, Inc. staffs information tables in each of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens Housing Courts, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. In Staten Island the Information Table is open on Wednesday and Thursday, from 9:00-12:00 in the morning. The information is free and is available to all unrepresented litigants. Referrals will be made to neighborhood groups, legal service providers and other eviction prevention services. Each afternoon (from 2:00-5:00), you may get answers to brief questions at (212) 962 4795.

Metropolitan Council on Housing, Inc. is a citywide membership organization that assists its members and tenants, by providing information concerning housing matters including the defense of eviction proceedings. The Met Council Hotline is available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1:30-5:30 at (212) 979-0611.

TenantNet is a comprehensive Informational Resource for tenants on the World-Wide Web. Go to http://tenant.net

LEGAL SERVICES

If you have a low income, you may be eligible for free legal services (a free attorney). To get the address of the office that services your neighborhood, contact:

The Legal Aid Society
(888) 218-6947

or

Legal Services of New York City
(212) 431-7200

If you need a referral to a lawyer and you are not eligible for free legal services contact:

New York City Bar Legal Referral Service
(212) 626-7373

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Information contained on this web site was prepared by the City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court, Inc., a not-for-profit coalition of community housing organizations.

This information was prepared not by attorneys, but by experienced housing advocates and should not be thought of as legal advice.

This web site contains legal information, but it should not be considered legal advice and can not be considered as a substitute legal advice and representation by a qualified attorney.