STATEMENT: NYLAG Responds to announcement of Randall’s Island HERRC closure

NEW YORK, NY - The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) issued the following statement after the New York City Council's efforts to expand CityFHEPS housing vouchers encountered another setback:

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.

Danielle Tarantolo, Director of the New York Legal Assistance Group's (NYLAG) Special Litigation Unit, received the New York City Bar Association's 2024 Legal Services Award on Monday at the Bar's midtown Manhattan headquarters.

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) held its annual gala and raised $1.7M, honored award recipients Brooke Cucinella, Carolyn Renzin, Amy Howe, and Yarys Lopez.

As an organization that serves domestic violence survivors, we are part of a coalition of service providers who had been calling on New York State to offset the cuts to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding - which we rely on in our Domestic Violence Law Unit - to ensure that we could continue addressing survivors' legal needs with the unique expertise and care they deserve. We're grateful Governor Hochul heard our call.

We at NYLAG are outraged by the shelter policy for migrants. This shelter policy will affect the wellbeing and safety of migrant families. Read our statement in full.