New York Legal Assistance Group

Having work requirements for safety net benefits fails to recognize that 1) not everyone *can* work, and 2) the circumstances that lead to people needing benefits at all is an issue of systemic inequities, not personal responsibility. Now, as New York City reinstates work requirement rules to obtain public benefits like cash assistance, the bureaucratic issues already plaguing our systems will only add another barrier to access and exacerbate the caseload backlog. With HRA already struggling to distribute these subsistence benefits, this rule will keep more people from accessing vital benefits when they most need them, as NYLAG's Abby Biberman explained for Gothamist: https://lnkd.in/eijgRn-Q

Evicting our new neighbors from shelter after 30 or 60 days was never the solution to adjacent policy failures around housing and immigration. Alongside our partners in the NY SANE Coalition, NYLAG endorses Council Member Shahana Hanif's bill to ban the City's shelter stay limits and end this discrimination against newly arrived immigrants. Read more on the legislation from City Limits: https://lnkd.in/e99mgSDD

On June 13th, in honor of #PrideMonth, Kramer Levin partnered with New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) to host a Self-Determination for Older LGBTQ Adults Advance Planning Clinic. We assisted low-income New Yorkers in completing vital life planning documents, including powers of attorney, living wills, and healthcare proxies. Thank you to NYLAG for offering support and guidance through this process, and to all who participated. Learn more about our #probono efforts: https://brnw.ch/21wL0iM

MUST READ: When we refer to the the trauma and hardship our new neighbors face on their journey to the US, this recent reporting from The New York Times is what we're talking about. The Aguilar Ortega family's story reminds us not only of the inhumanity behind a cacophony of failed immigration policies, but of the people those policies most harm — and why we remain staunch advocates for ensuring their access to resources upon arriving to our city, including expert, trauma-informed legal services to give them a real chance at finding stability here. https://lnkd.in/eqQ8r6Tx

After three and a half years of a payment pause, the Federal Student Loan system will be fully back to normal after the one year “ramp up” and Fresh Start enrollment periods in the fall. Katie Krumpter, NYLAG’s Coordinating Senior Financial Counselor, shared how to access your student loan data, select your student loan payment, and approach student loan forgiveness.   Read in full here ➡ https://lnkd.in/e3ZMgAT7 #financialcounseling #financialstability #empower 

Black women face significant inequities in the workforce, with a wage gap rooted in racism and sexism. This systemic issue perpetuates a cycle of poverty and economic instability, forcing Black women to work more years than their white counterparts to catch up, impacting their ability to support their families and to have a fulfilling life.  On #BlackWomensEqualPayDay and every day, NYLAG advocates in partnership with communities of color for systemic solutions to close the gender wage gap and a path toward a more equitable future for all. #blackwomensequalpayday #equity #justice #bridgethegap #financialfreedom #equalpayny 

Last year, NYLAG was among the 24 non-profits awarded a grant through MetLife Foundation’s Accelerating Commitment to Equity Innovation Fund (ACE Innovation Fund). Each organization in this cohort is taking a different approach to tackling the growing income and wealth divide in the U.S., and it was an incredible experience coming together for the #ACECovening to learn from one another, share best practices, and collaboratively advance our work. We're grateful Vice President Shani Adess and Consumer Protection Unit Director Daphne Schlick could attend. Thank you, MetLife Foundation, for this wonderful opportunity and event!

As one of New York City’s largest civil legal service providers, communities throughout the five boroughs rely on NYLAG to access justice, often in a time of crisis. Our advocates work diligently to meet people where they are and make our services as accessible as possible, partnering with every client to deliver dignified, trauma-informed legal resources, counsel, and advocacy. From this perspective, we advocate for a city budget that provides us with the resources we need to increase access to justice among lower income New Yorkers, supports those communities’ broader needs, and takes an equitable approach towards cultivating racial, social, and economic justice overall. Read our full statement about last week's adopted City budget: https://lnkd.in/e2fpGtx8

From all of us at NYLAG, we wish all observing a meaningful #HijriNewYear!

Disability justice is racial, social, and economic justice! This #DisabilityPrideMonth and always, NYLAG proudly celebrates the accomplishments of people with disabilities, honors the progress we’ve made for disability rights, and recognizes the continued fight for disability justice – which is integral to all other pursuits of justice and equity.