Community Partners, Make the Road New York, RiseBoro Community Partnership, and the Robin Hood Foundation to launch a new “Know Your Rights” campaign, a collaborative effort funded by the Robin Hood Foundation that will raise awareness of immigrant tenants’ rights to stay in their homes, despite financial hardship or immigration status, and of the resources available to support them.
As part of the campaign, the organizations have launched a new housing helpline — (212) 298-3490 — for immigrant families seeking legal assistance and referrals to financial resources available through programs including New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and FASTEN (Funds & Services for Tenants Experiencing Need). The helpline will serve exclusively undocumented and mixed-status families, who were previously excluded from earlier versions of the state’s rent relief program and will provide tenants with access to legal support and guidance on their application for rental relief so that they can prevent eviction and remain in their homes. The helpline will also assist New York’s noncitizen and undocumented renters in accessing up-to-date information on basic and COVID-19-related housing rights and protections.
The campaign will also offer trainings for people and organizations serving their New York City communities, to ensure they are disseminating the latest information on housing rights and available resources for vulnerable tenants. Moreover, the Know Your Rights partners will launch a robust Public Service Announcement and marketing campaign to ensure that undocumented households know of these resources and know where to access help. New York City has also contracted with organizations in every borough who can assist both tenants and landlords in completing applications for ERAP. The full list of community-based organizations by county can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/emergency-rental-assistance/help-applying/.
You can download the flyers in English and Spanish here (Flyer 1 in English; Flyer 1 in Spanish). Please feel free to post them throughout your facilities and share them with your networks.