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Law to protect betrays victims (Times Union)
Arrests of abuse victims who sought protection orders fuels call for change
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N.Y. bill would speed up foreclosure 'waiting game' (lohud.com)
Delay can prove a catastrophic enemy of New Yorkers facing the loss of their homes to foreclosure.
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Attorney general sues HSBC over foreclosures (The Buffalo News)
Thousands of New Yorkers have likely been denied a better chance to get their homes out from under foreclosure by HSBC Bank USA and its Depew mortgage operations facility, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is charging in a new lawsuit.
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Lefkowitz: Help homeowners in foreclosure get mediation (Newsday)
There's a crisis brewing for homeowners on Long Island. Thousands of foreclosures filed against homeowners in the past three years are sitting in limbo. Cases get stuck because banks are not filing the required court papers that trigger a homeowner's right to meet with the lender in a court-supervised settlement conference -- a system designed to find alternatives to foreclosure.
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A.G. Schneiderman and Senate Majority Coalition Leader Klein Highlight Foreclosure Relief Bills (NewsLI.com)
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and New York State Senate Majority Coalition Leader Jeff Klein today highlighted the “Certificate of Merit” bill (A. 5582) and the Foreclosure Fraud Prevention Act (A.7395), two important pieces of legislation to protect New York homeowners facing foreclosure.
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Assembly Passes Bills Giving Foreclosure Protections (New York Law Journal)
One bill would require residential mortgage holders to file the paperwork necessary to initiate mandatory settlement conferences where lenders are seeking to foreclose, while another would impose both misdemeanor- and felony-level penalties for some fraudulent foreclosure practices.
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N.Y. Assembly passes 'shadow docket' legislation (Thomson Reuters)
The New York State Assembly this week approved a bill designed to expedite residential foreclosure cases by requiring lenders to file mandatory paperwork earlier in the process.
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Thousands of New Yorkers Could Avoid Foreclosure Under Bill Passed by Assembly (AARP)
Thousands of New Yorkers facing foreclosure would have a better chance to avoid the loss of their homes under a bill the State Assembly approved today.
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A.G. Schneiderman Commends Assembly For Passing Foreclosure Relief Bills (NYS Attorney General)
Bills Will Help Prevent New York Homeowners From Getting Trapped In The Growing “Shadow Docket” Of Frozen Foreclosure Cases
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Health insurance exchanges info is trickling in (Democrat & Chronicle)
The exchanges, which are meant to expand coverage to people who’ve been shut out of insurance because of cost or access, are a cornerstone of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Senate Bill Freezes Student Loan Rates for Two Years to Provide Time for Comprehensive Reform (The Institute for College Access & Success)
New legislation (S. 953) introduced by Senators Jack Reed and Tom Harkin, along with Majority Leader Harry Reid and nine other senators, prevents interest rates on subsidized student loans from doubling as scheduled this July and pays for itself by closing tax loopholes.
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NY attorney general threatens to sue Wells Fargo, Bank of America (MPR News - The Daily Circuit)
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says he plans to sue Wells Fargo and Bank of America for violating terms of the $25 billion National Mortgage Settlement.
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No loan sharks welcome (Times Union)
The Cuomo administration kills a bill that would have legalized payday loans. Let’s hope the check-cashing industry gets the message.
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Report Presents “Immigrant Eligibility Crosswalk” and Urges Continued Advances in Immigrant Access to Health Care as NY Implements Insurance Exchange
Today, Empire Justice Center released a report that chronicles immigrant access to health care in New York and zeros in on significant advancements to come with the new State Health Insurance Exchange.
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Assemblyman's payday loan bill would mean business as usury for the poor (NY Daily News)
Carl Heastie, assemblyman and Bronx Democratic boss, should be ashamed. He’s chief sponsor of a horrendous piece of legislation that would let low-income New Yorkers, including his Wakefield constituents, be victimized by interest rates of up to 200%.
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Cuomo's stance helps kill loan bill (Times Union)
The Cuomo administration on Monday took the unusual step of coming out against a bill before it had even moved out of committee — in the process killing an effort to legalize what critics say would be legalized usury.
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High-Interest Loan Bid Opposed By Cuomo Administration (NY Daily News)
The Cuomo administration has effectively killed a legislative bid by check cashing entities to charge up to 200% interest and fees on short-term loans.
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Wealth Gap Among Races Has Widened Since Recession (The New York Times)
Millions of Americans suffered a loss of wealth during the recession and the sluggish recovery that followed. But the last half-decade has proved far worse for black and Hispanic families than for white families, starkly widening the already large gulf in wealth between non-Hispanic white Americans and most minority groups, according to a new study from the Urban Institute.
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Tabla de salvación para dueños de viviendas en NY (El Diario)
Fiscalía estatal de Nueva York lanza una línea gratuita de ayuda para salvar inmuebles hipotecados
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LI's minority enclaves hit hard by foreclosure (Newsday)
Long Island communities with the highest concentrations of houses slated for foreclosure are also the neighborhoods where many black and Hispanic residents live, reflecting a disproportionate impact of the housing crisis for minority groups, according to a new study of foreclosure warning notices sent by banks.
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Many Long Island Communities Face Long Term Impact of Foreclosures
Study identifies hardest hit towns and strategies to keep families in their homes and limit damage to the local tax base.
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Reaction mixed on wage increase (The Daily Record)
Low-income workers may be applauding the deal reached in Albany that raises the minimum wage to $9 an hour.
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A.G. Schneiderman And A.G. Coakley Lead 9 State Coalition Demanding New Leadership Over Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac (NYS Attorney General)
Thanks to New York's Attorney General for taking the lead on this critical national issue impacting NY homeowners!
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Gouging the Poor in New York (The New York Times)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has warned debt collectors that they could face legal sanctions if they try to collect predatory loans that violate the state’s usury law, which prohibits loans with interest rates above 25 percent. The governor needs to take an equally forceful stand against pending bills that would encourage predatory lending by allowing check-cashing stores to enter the lending business and exempting them from the usury law.
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People's Budget Hearing to Urge Leaders to Get Some CLASS (Close Loopholes Aid Social Services) (readMedia)
Hundreds of low-income New Yorkers, community activists, union members and faith leaders gathered at the State Capitol today for a People's Hearing on the State Budget. The hearing is part of the annual legislative action day by Hunger Action Network of NYS, Empire State Economic Security Campaign, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, and many others. The People's Hearing was designed to highlight the need to restore millions in lost funding to programs and services for struggling New Yorkers that have been left out of the budget.
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Governor Cuomo Announces Department of Financial Services Notifies Debt Collectors Not to Seek Collection on Illegal Payday Loans (NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo)
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York State Department of Financial Services has sent letters to all debt collectors in New York stating that it is illegal to attempt to collect a debt on a payday loan since such loans are illegal in New York.
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Statewide Advocates Celebrate 30th “Birthday” of Disability Advocacy Program, Calling for Renewed Investment
Members of DAPWorks, a statewide campaign led by Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) advocates and members of the New York State Senate and Assembly, gathered today at the State Capitol in Albany to celebrate three decades of successful advocacy on behalf of low income disabled New Yorkers in need of financial support. Lauding over $1 billion brought into the state by the program during that time, and 208,000 clients served, speakers urged an additional $2.24 million investment above the $4.76 million included in the Executive Budget to allow them to assist more people.
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Immigration Reform: NY Reacts (WAMC Northeast Public Radio)
Our President and CEO, Anne Erickson, weighs in on recent developments in immigration reform at the national level.
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Capitol Pressroom - Launch of the DAPWorks Campaign (WCNY - Capitol Pressroom)
Listen to our Kristin Brown Lilley talk on the Capitol Pressroom about the Launch of the DAPWorks Campaign – and why the Disability Advocacy Program is a great investment for NYS.
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Empire Justice’s 2013 priorities (The Daily Record)
The focus is driven by the state’s continuing recovery from the impact of the financial services meltdown and subsequent recession, as well as the devastation of Superstorm Sandy.
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Plan loads home loans (Times Union)
Federal agency asks to add big fee to mortgages, citing state's foreclosure shields.
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Sandy “Shines Light” on Needs of Non-English Speakers in NY (Public News Service)
The aftermath of Superstorm Sandy has sounded a wake-up call to local governments that advocates say shows the pressing need to be able to communicate with non-English-speaking residents.
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Bellone orders language translation help (Newsday)
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone on Wednesday signed an order requiring county agencies to translate vital public documents and provide interpreters to non-English speakers.
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Suffolk County Executive signs Countywide Language Access Order
In Sandy’s Aftermath, Community and Advocacy Groups Applaud County Executive Bellone for Landmark Executive Order Guaranteeing Translation and Interpretation Services to Suffolk Residents.
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Will Foreclosure Abuses Ever End? (The New York Times)
This editorial in the New York Times critiques the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent rule to regulate mortgage servicers and the foreclosure process.
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Panel mulls legal funds for low-income NY'ers (The Legislative Gazette)
For the third-straight year, a series of public hearings is being held across the state to gather testimony for a report to the Legislature about the condition of civil legal services in New York state.
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A. G. Schneiderman Announces $20 Million In Funding To Help Families In New York State Avoid Foreclosure (Office of the Attorney General)
A portion of the $20 million is also going to support a partnership between the OAG and two “Anchor Partners,” who will assist with training, technical assistance, and other support systems to ensure the network is providing the highest quality of services to at-risk homeowners. The Center for New York City Neighborhoods will serve as Anchor Partner for groups operating in NYC, and the Empire Justice Center will serve as the Anchor Partner for the rest of the State.
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New York policy hurts New Yorkers seeking jobs (Democrat and Chronicle)
Rather than wasting struggling families’ time and equity by forcing them to get rid of reliable cars to qualify for assistance, New York should join the majority of other states in removing this unnecessary barrier for those applying for public assistance.
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Medicaid Matters Press Release on State Super Waiver
The State’s interest in continuing to reform the Medicaid program in New York was reaffirmed through an 1115 Medicaid waiver amendment application submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), referred to as the Super Waiver.
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Report finds FHA/VA Lending Disproportionately Prevalent in Neighborhoods of Color
Leading community organizations, including Empire Justice Center, today report evidence of a two-tiered mortgage market characterized by high rates of government-backed loans made both to borrowers in communities of color and to minority borrowers in their new report, “Paying More for the American Dream VI: Racial Disparities in FHA/VA Lending.”
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New York Times Editorial Mentions Empire Justice (The New York Times)
The average wait for Medicaid applicants fell to 29 days last year from 83 days in 2007, but that is still bad. One of the groups that brought the lawsuit, the Empire Justice Center, is planning to go back to court to force the county to meet its obligations.
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Empire Justice Center Statement: Supreme Court Ruling a Tremendous Victory for New Yorkers in Need of Health Care and for New York’s Economy
The highly anticipated ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the Affordable Care Act, is a true victory for all New Yorkers in need of health care, for New York State and our state’s economy.
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Empire Justice Center Applauds Consumer Bureau’s New Credit Card Disclosure Policy
Empire Justice Center praised the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) announcement yesterday that it will now make its credit card complaint data accessible to the public.
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AG Announces $60M in Foreclosure Help Funding (Long Island Press)
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Monday a $60-million program to assist struggling homeowners facing foreclosure on Long Island and beyond.
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A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ANNOUNCES $60 MILLION COMMITMENT TO FUND HOUSING COUNSELING AND LEGAL SERVICES FOR STRUGGLING HOMEOWNERS (Post Star News)
At an event at the Long Island Housing Partnership, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the launch of the Homeowner Protection Program, his office’s commitment of $60 million over three years to fund housing counseling and legal services for struggling New York homeowners.
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A.G. Schneiderman Announces $60 Million Commitment To Fund Housing Counseling And Legal Services For Struggling Homeowners (NYS Attorney General)
Funding Housing Counseling And Legal Services Will Help Struggling New Yorkers Keep Their Homes
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A.G. Schneiderman Introduces Legislation To Protect New Yorkers From Foreclosure Fraud (New York State Attorney General)
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the introduction of his bill in the state Legislature that would protect New Yorkers from fraudulent business practices like "robosigning" in the foreclosure process.
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Child care subsidies get hearing in Monroe County courtroom (Democrat and Chronicle)
With co-pays for subsidized child care at the highest possible rate in Monroe County and more than a dozen other counties across the state, the issue moved to state Supreme Court on Thursday in an argument to change the way the state and counties decide how much needy families should pay.
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N.Y. fingerprinting for food policy was wrong (Democrat and Chronicle)
There has been considerable media coverage about fingerprinting for food stamps since Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will be eliminating the practice. Much of the focus has been on the stigmatization associated with fingerprinting that prevents families from applying for food stamps.
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Senate Democratic Conference Holds Public Forum on Domestic Violence (NYS Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson)
Empire Justice Testifies at Senate Democratic Conference Forum in Albany
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Governor Cuomo Announces New York State to End Finger Imaging Requirement for Food Stamp Recipients ()
Governor Delivers on State of the State Promise to Remove Barriers to Participation in Food Stamp Program. New Anti-Fraud System Less Costly and More Effective at Preventing Abuse than Finger Imaging.
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New Survey of Housing Counselors Points to Banks Failures in Compliance with Foreclosure Prevention (California Reinvestment Coalition)
A new survey of housing counselors in California reveals the failure of banks to comply with policies and programs that would help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
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SafeRx legislation passes as part of state budget (The Daily Record)
The final state budget passed last week included approval of SafeRx legislation designed to make prescription drug labels easier to understand for people with limited English, people with disabilities and seniors.
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NYS Foreclosure Prevention Services Progam Campaign Celebrates Albany Collaboration to Restore Funding
The New York State Foreclosure Prevention Services campaign today thanks and applauds the groundbreaking agreement among Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the New York State Legislature to provide six months of critical funding for the statewide Foreclosure Prevention Services Program in the FY 2012-13 budget.
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Significant Victories in State Budget to Benefit Struggling New Yorkers
After an initial review of the budget agreement struck by the Governor and Legislative leaders this week, the Empire Justice Center declared victory on several important initiatives that will have a positive impact on New Yorkers who are struggling financially.
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A.G. Schneiderman Announces Up To $15 Million Of National Mortgage Settlement To Extend Funding For Foreclosure Prevention And Other Related Services (NYS Attorney General)
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that up to $15 million of the $132 million he secured in the national mortgage servicing settlement will be used to extend funding for foreclosure prevention and other related services.
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Albany is playing games with health exchange legislation (Democrat & Chronicle)
New York needs an exchange that will fit our unique and complicated health insurance landscape in order to maximize the number of people who will gain coverage.
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NYS Foreclosure Prevention Services Program Campaign Applauds Efforts to Restore Funding
The New York State Foreclosure Prevention Services Campaign today applauded the New York State Legislature for its efforts to restore funding for the statewide Foreclosure Prevention Services Program in the FY 2012-13 budget.
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Squadron, De Blasio, Advocates Rally for Passage of Bill to End Food Stamp Finger Imaging (NYS Senator Daniel Squadron)
Squadron Legislation to Come to Senate Committee Vote on Tuesday as Governor, Electeds Continue Fight to End Practice
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Food stamp fingerprinting ensnares thousands of applicants (The New York World)
This week, four state senators from New York City – Daniel Squadron, Liz Krueger, Tom Duane and Kevin Parker – have moved for a hearing on a bill that would forbid any requirement for finger-scans as a condition of receceiving food stamps.
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Aging & Health Groups Call on Governor Cuomo to Restore Harsh Cuts to Senior Rx Program
Senior advocates, pharmacists, aging and health care counselors, and cancer prevention organizations are calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to restore copayment assistance to older New Yorkers who are enrolled in the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program.
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A.G. Schneiderman Secures $136 Million For Struggling New York Homeowners In Mortgage Servicing Settlement (NYS Attorney General)
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today a $136 million settlement for New York with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers over foreclosure abuses.
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Push to Avert Foreclosures Hits Court Logjam (The New York Times)
Courts statewide have been mired in often hopeless cases involving loans that have left bus drivers and grocery clerks, among others, owing $700,000 or more on homes that have fallen in value.
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Foreclosure Dispatches: Views From Around the Country (Huffington Post)
Dispatch #1: Sarah Ludwig and Josh Zinner, Co-Directors, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) in New York City
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Foreclosure Prevention Services Funding Campaign Rally & Press Conference
On January 31st, advocates from across New York gathered in The Well of the Legislative Office Building to rally for funding for the vital services they provide to homeowners facing foreclosure.
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Rally against Foreclosure Prevention cuts (YNN)
Homeowners in crisis were looking for a little help at the state capitol on Tuesday. Some fear proposed state budget cuts could trigger more home foreclosures.
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Non-profits, lawmakers want foreclosure-prevention funds in budget (Politics on the Hudson)
Non-profit groups that provide counseling and legal services to homeowners at risk of foreclosure and a number of lawmakers are urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include $25 million in the state budget to continue the statewide Foreclosure Prevention Services Program.
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Thousands of Distressed Homeowners Will Be Left in the Lurch by Imminent Loss of State Funding for Foreclosure Prevention
Elected Officials, Advocates and Homeowners Call for Funding in New York State’s Budget for Foreclosure Prevention
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‘The Capitol Pressroom’ with Susan Arbetter (WNYC- The Empire)
Listen to Kirsten Keefe, our senior staff attorney with the Consumer Housing, C.A.S.H. and Community Development Unit in the Albany office as well as Hilary Lamishaw, housing counselor at TRIP/ NeighborWorks Alliance NYS react to the Governor's budget proposal.
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Foreclosure services seen at risk in budget (Newsday)
Homeowner advocates said Tuesday that an array of counseling and legal assistance programs for people facing foreclosure is endangered by cuts in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's proposed state budget.
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Empire Justice IDs key issues for 2012 (The Daily Record)
One of Empire Justice Center’s top issues of 2012 received Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s support when, in his state of the state address earlier this month, the governor announced he wanted to stop the practice of fingerprinting those who apply for food stamps.
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State Money Will Help Replace U.S. Funds for Foreclosure Aid (New York Law Journal)
Legal service providers apparently have made up approximately $2.3 million of the $22 million that they expect to lose for their foreclosure prevention programs as the federal stimulus money that has financed the work dries up.
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Bringing the Mayor to Heel (City & State)
Choose your metaphor: When Gov. Andrew Cuomo roused a crowd in Albany last week by promising to stop fingerprinting food stamp applicants, was he stepping on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s toes or kicking him in the shin?
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Empire Justice Statement on Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address
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Seniors’ drug costs likely to spike under new rules (Daily Gazette)
Drastic changes to the state’s supplemental drug program for seniors will result in higher out-of-pocket costs for enrollees, warn advocates for elderly and low-income state residents.
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Opinion: NY must keep helping homeowners (Newsday)
After the nation's housing bubble burst in 2008, New York State took action to address the foreclosure crisis crippling housing markets and devastating low-income communities. The state invested in an innovative, collaborative web of programs to provide housing counseling and legal services to New Yorkers confronted with the loss of their homes. But now that funding is set to expire.
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Cuomo Urged to “Clear Red Tape” for New Yorkers Seeking Food Help in 2012 (Public News Service)
Not quite the holiday spirit. That's what a new report says about New York's fingerprinting requirement for food stamps, which it says is causing the wrong people to go hungry.
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AARP and Empire Justice Center Press Release: Time to Leave Finger Prints Behind
Announcing the release of "Time to Leave Finger Prints Behind, Fair Hearings in NYC Show How Unfair Finger Imaging is for New Yorkers
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Listen to our Kirsten Keefe on Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter (WCNY)
A Senior Staff Attorney at Empire Justice Center's Albany office, Kirsten Keefe will discuss the Attorney General's fight against a mortgage settlement with banks, voters growing outrage at being refused mortgage refinancing by banks that took bail outs any why municipalities across NY are moving their business to smaller banking institutions.
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Foreclosure Prevention Programs Urge State to Pick Up Funding (New York Law Journal)
Foreclosures have slowed to a crawl in the last year as lenders coped with accusations of slipshod procedures and the state courts imposed a requirement that attorneys and lenders attest to the accuracy of their filings. But that breathing space is about to end, court officials say.
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Statewide Campaign to Save the Foreclosure Prevention Services Program Press Release re: Assembly Hearing
Campaign members traveled from all over the state to New York City to testify at Assembly Hearings on Foreclosure to underscore the critical role funding from the Foreclosure Prevention Services Program plays in allowing them to help save homes in their communities.
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Five myths about Dodd-Frank (The Washington Post)
After a worldwide financial meltdown — and a $700 billion taxpayer-funded bailout — the need for common-sense financial reforms was clear. But now, even though the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010...is only beginning to take effect, critics are launching false attacks against the law in an effort to undermine it.
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For More and More Low-Income New Yorkers, Civil Legal Services Are Just Out of Reach (WNYC News)
With the impact of the economic crisis and one in five New Yorkers now living in poverty, the need for civil legal services will increase.
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Judge Calls Off Eviction of Rochester Woman, For Now (YNN)
Rochester homeowner avoids eviction with the help of housing counselors.
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Help needed for grandparents caring for their grandchildren (Legislative Gazette)
AARP and kincare advocates urged Governor Andrew Cuomo, in a July 19 letter, to find funding to maintain programs they say are critical for children cared for by non-parent relatives.
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Elizabeth Warren, Champion of Consumer Financial Protection (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Banks don't trust her. Republicans won't confirm her. Yet she's already won her battle to remake how America borrows.
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Thousands caught in foreclosure (Times Herald-Record)
Across Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties, thousands of families have already lost their homes, and thousands more face the prospect of eviction in coming years, as the worst housing crisis in decades plays out across the region.
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LI foreclosure filings at twice state rate (Newsday.com)
Long Island homeowners received foreclosure-related filings at twice the statewide rate in the three years following the 2007 collapse of the subprime lending market, the state comptroller reported Tuesday.
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Albany Bill Would Let Check-Cashers Provide Loans (City Limits)
The Senate and Assembly banking committees have both approved a bill to permit check-cashing outlets to provide short-term loans. Backers say it offers financing to those whom regular banks don't serve. Critics say it would permit exploitative “payday” lending.
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NYS Senate Advances Bill that Would Open Door to Predatory Lending
New Yorkers for Responsible Lending, a statewide coalition of 151 groups, called on the state Senate today to withdraw a bill that would permit check cashers to make usurious small-dollar loans, and would open the door to predatory payday lending, which the state has long prohibited.
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Budget Cuts Imperil Legal Aid in Foreclosure Cases (The New York Times)
The state’s budget squeeze has put at risk more than 120 legal aid and homeowner-counseling agencies across the state that have provided a last-ditch legal and economic lifeline to thousands of distressed homeowners.
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Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman: Fix 'fundamental failure' in NY court rooms (Legislative Gazette)
New York is not living up to its U.S. Supreme Court-mandated responsibility to provide legal defense services for all, according to the state's top judge.
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Consumer protection bureau faces challenges (The Daily Record)
Victims of deceptive financial loans and products thought they finally had some federal protection with the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but the CFPB is threatened even before it is officially launched.
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More cuts hit foreclosure prevention assistance (The Daily Record)
Monroe County loses its foreclosure settlement conference referee due to court budget cuts.
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Cuomo vetoes pay for foreclosure prevention services (The Business Review)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s veto of $1.5 million to pay for foreclosure prevention services in New York shocked housing advocates who say the program is vital to help struggling homeowners.
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Veto of Foreclosure Prevention Services Severs Lifeline for Homeowners
Legal services and housing counseling providers across the state decried Governor Cuomo’s veto of $1.5 million in foreclosure prevention services funding which was put in the budget by the Assembly Majority in a last ditch effort to keep the program alive through the end of the state fiscal year.
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Advocacy group laments loss of foreclosure services funds (Daily Gazette)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing to cut funding for foreclosure prevention services at a time when data indicate the number of homes in foreclosure will greatly accelerate in coming months, according to an advocacy group.
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New Wave of Protests Fighting Banksters (The Notion: The Nation's Group Blog)
The Empire Justice Center is predicting a “tsunami” of foreclosures coming, and Bank of America is refusing to write down mortgage debt. Republicans in Congress want to eliminate the Home Affordable Modification Program, which helps people keep their homes and Democrats are flagging in their support.
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717 more LI homes in foreclosure process (Newsday)
More than 700 mortgage borrowers fell into the foreclosure process on Long Island last month, according to a report released Thursday that also showed the pace of home repossessions slowing.
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Foreclosure crisis entering a new phase (The Daily Record)
Dr. Barbara van Kerkhove, Research and Policy Analyst at the Empire Justice Center recently published an exhaustive report on the state’s foreclosure crisis. The report indicates the state is nowhere near the end of the foreclosure crisis, which now includes those homeowners with good credit and prime loans.
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69,000 NY home loans at risk of foreclosure (The Business Review)
Nearly 69,000 home loans in New York are at imminent risk of foreclosure, a situation that an advocacy group said today could lead to a “tsunami” of foreclosures over the next year or two.
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Flood of Foreclosures Expected Just as Funding to Help Homeowners Dries Up
New analysis of data from the Federal Reserve of New York shows that the foreclosure crisis in New York is far from over – and without legislative action to provide funding for the state’s “Foreclosure Prevention Services Program,” thousands of homeowners will have little help in saving their homes when foreclosure strikes.
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Foreclosure prevention group seeks $15M in state funding (The Business Review)
Housing advocates will be at the Capitol in Albany, New York, today asking legislators to set aside $15 million in the budget to continue a foreclosure prevention program that will run out of money this year.
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Forecast for New York: “Tsunami” of Foreclosures (Public News Service)
Nearly 69,000 home loans statewide are at imminent risk of foreclosure in New York, and the majority of them are prime, rather than subprime or 'alt-A' loans.
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Advocacy groups say seniors can’t afford proposed prescription-benefit cuts (Politics on the Hudson)
AARP, the Empire Justice Center, Selfhelp Community Services and Statewide Senior Action are urging the Legislature to reject Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to cut the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage—EPIC—program, which has been in place for 25 years.
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Advocates warn about loss of drug cost subsidy
Seniors below a $35,000 annual income for singles and $50,000 for couples face the elimination of help paying for life-extending prescriptions under Gov. Cuomo's proposed budget.
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Advocates for Seniors Warn About Eliminating EPIC (WAMC Northeast Public Radio)
Advocates for Senior citizens are calling on the New York State Legislature to reject cuts to prescription drug coverage by preserving the existing "EPIC" program - Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
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Making Sense of Mandates: Special Education's Burden of Proof (WXXI GoPublic)
Every year new mandates are added to an already extensive list that school districts throughout the state are required to follow. But some educators say the real issue, when it comes to mandatory requirements in education, lies with Special Education.
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New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo's State of the State speech impresses listeners (The Oneida Daily Dispatch)
Though the annual speech is normally given at the Capitol, Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved it to the Empire State Convention Center venue as a metaphor to get more non-elected officials involved.
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Advocates: What Cuomo Could Get Done In 100 Days (Politics on the Hudson )
Good-government and environmental protection groups want Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo to issue a series of executive orders in his first 100 days as a way to get the ball rolling on changing the state.
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IOLA Fund Hits New Low (The Daily Record)
Legal providers say Campaign for Justice takes on new meaning.
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Tenants do have rights if foreclosure looms (Times Union)
Tenants are the invisible victims of the mortgage crises, with very few advocates.
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Need a Lawyer? Good Luck (New York Times)
New York’s Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman’s call for adequate stable funding for civil legal services gets support from the New York Times.
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NY Joins National Foreclosure Work Group (The Daily Record)
New York is joining the rest of the nation in a bipartisan mortgage foreclosure working group being led by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.
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Officials: Help poor in civil cases (Times Union)
Top officials from the Capital Region's legal and political worlds told the state's most powerful judge Tuesday more money is needed to fund legal representation of the poor in civil cases, calling it a cost-saving measure.
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Tell it to the Judge – NY's Top Jurist on a Mission (Public News Service)
Giving new meaning to the term "judicial activism," the chief judge of New York state is heading an unprecedented effort to help those who can't afford to hire a lawyer in civil cases.
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Local Residents Explain Need for Legal Services (WXXI )
New York's Chief Judge is traveling the state, trying to find out what people do when they need a lawyer -- but can't afford one.
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EPA Recognizes the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning for Outstanding Community Leadership (United States Environmental Protection Agency)
The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning has been selected as a winner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Justice Achievement Award for its leadership in community-based efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning in the city of Rochester, New York.
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The Case of the Disappearing NY Legal Services? (Public News Service)
The providers of civil legal services for those who can't afford a lawyer to fight such things as foreclosure, eviction, and denial of benefits say they are in trouble. They say the public protection budget bills passed by the New York Legislature this spring include a devastating 70 percent cut in funding.
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New Report Finds More Families in Need (YNN)
Many of New York's families are struggling to make ends meet. That's according to a new study by the Fiscal Policy Institute and Community Action Association, which calculates the cost of living for working families all over the state.
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Chief Judge Lippman calls for change in legal aid (The Daily Record)
New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, in Rochester on June 10, called for systemic change in the delivery of civil legal representation for the state’s poor.
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Chief Judge Lippman Names 28 to Task Force to Expand Access to Legal Services (New York Law Journal)
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has named 28 people to a task force charged with spearheading a court-led effort to secure adequate state funding for the representation of low-income New Yorkers in civil cases.
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State Bar Urges Vital Funding for Civil Legal Services to be Included in Emergency Budget Appropriations (New York State Bar Association)
President Getnick Renews the Call to Ensure Access to Justice for all New Yorkers.
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The Right to, and Need for, Counsel (New York Times)
New York Times editorial on the state's constitutional duty to provide counsel as affirmed by the State Court of Appeals and Chief Judge Lippman.
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Is a New State Law Curbing Home Foreclosures? (Times Union)
New York’s tough new foreclosure law might be cutting the number of foreclosures in the state — at least temporarily.
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Legal Aid Pinched: Civil Law Advocates are Vulnerable to Boom and Bust Cycles (Syracuse Post Standard)
For too long, civil legal services in New York state have been vulnerable to boom and bust cycles.
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The Price of Justice for All (Times Union)
Captial District attorney Paul Harding pens Op Ed in support of civil legal services and the critical need for funding in the state budget.
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Press Release: Paying More for the American Dream IV
Study finds TARP-supported banks reduced lending to communities of color dramatically in Rochester, New York and six other cities across the nation.
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Top New York Judge Urges Greater Legal Rights for the Poor (New York Times)
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman calls for greater access to justice for New York's poor.
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Empire Justice Joins with Better Choice Budget Campain in Calling for State to Balance Budget by Raising Revenues, Not Cutting by Critical Services (A Better Choice for New York)
Campaign launches TV ads focused on closing corporate tax loopholes and asking wall street to help bail out Main Street.
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Banking on Hypocrisy (Politico)
While American families have made clear that they overwhelmingly support the reforms that a new consumer financial protection agency will produce — like clear, understandable terms and conditions for consumer credit products and accountability for the big banks — the lobbyists have made equally clear their plan to kill the agency.
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New Law Protects Credit Cardholders (YNN Rochester)
Signed into law by the President, the Credit Card Bill of Rights will ban certain unfair and deceptive fees and rate increases.
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Fate of $15 mil. for Civil Legal Services in Lawmakers' hands (Legislative Gazette)
It is now up to the Legislature to decide whether the state will provide a fiscal crutch for a diminishing fund that helps New Yorkers pay for civil legal services they might otherwise be unable to afford.
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Bar Association wants justice for all in 2010 (Legislative Gazette)
On the top of the Bar Association's list of state legislative priorities is a call for the governor and state lawmakers to ensure adequate resources are provided for the justice system so that the courts will be able to adequately serve New Yorkers, especially those living on low incomes.
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Empire Justice Center Releases 'Mending the Patchwork' Report
A report examining county by county inequities in child care subsidy administration in New York State.
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Media Advisory: Access to Child Care Assistance Varies Wildly Across the State
NEW REPORT: Access to Child Care Assistance Varies Wildly Across the State - Families With Same Income, Number of Kids Treated Differently Just Because They Live in a Different County!
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New Law Mandates Settlement Conferences in All Foreclosure Cases (Nassau Lawyer)
New laws now require all lenders seeking to foreclose mortgages to participate in a settlement conference in court.
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Fund that Pays for Low-Income Legal Services Spirals Downward (Legislative Gazette)
This year's economic crisis and historically low interest rates have reduced by 75 percent a fund that assists organizations that help New York's less affluent residents pay for legal services in civil proceedings.
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New York's Budget Negotiation Should Not Jeopardize Critical Medicaid Services for Vulnerable New Yorkers
Cuts to so-called Optional Medicaid Services are not optional at all.
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Empire Justice Joins Advocates to Decry Mid-Year Cuts
Press release announcing the press conference organized by New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, the Fiscal Policy Institute, Empire Justice Center and others to talk about alternatives to Governor Paterson's proposed DRP.
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The Good We Do: Access to Justice (The New York Law Journal)
This is no exaggeration: legal aid for the poor is in a state of crisis. According to the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC), it is estimated that one in two low-income Americans seeking legal help will be turned away this year.
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New Law Expands Protections for Domestic Violence Survivors (examiner.com)
A new civil rights law will provide domestic violence survivors even greater protection and confidentiality.
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Governor Paterson Issues Executive Order 21 Establishing the Governor's Task Force on the Prevention of Childhood Lead Poisoning (NYS Governer's website)
State Agencies Will Collaborate on the Development of a Coordinated Strategy to Eradicate Childhood Exposure to Lead
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Advocates Applaud the Governor and the Legislature for Approving a Budget that Maintains Access to Vital Prescription Drug Benefits for Seniors
The 2009-2010 State Budget acknowledges the difficulties low-income seniors face obtaining prescriptions through Medicare Part D plans.
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Press Release - Paying More for the American Dream III
This report examines the impact of CRA in seven metropolitan areas in the United States: Chicago; New York City; Los Angeles; Rochester, NY; Boston; Charlotte, and Cleveland.
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Demand for Legal Services Outpacing Available Service (The Record)
With unemployment and poverty on the rise amid an economic downturn, a growing number of poor New Yorkers will find that funding for legal services they may need is not increasing to compensate for demand.
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Cutbacks Could Leave Thousands of New Yorkers Alone in Court (Public News Service)
The courtroom soon could become a more lonely place for many New Yorkers, if budget cutbacks leave hundreds of thousands of people without the lawyers once provided by the state for civil cases.
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Statement on Governor Paterson’s Investment in Civil Legal Services
The legal services community applauds Gov. Paterson for acting so quickly to address the growing need for access to justice. The Governor's action today through his 30 day amendment to restore a basic level of funding for civil legal services indicates a strong level of support from the Governor and demonstrates a working partnership with the Legislature to restore funding for these critical services.
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Civil Legal Services Advocates Respond to Gov. Paterson’s State of the State Address
Complete Elimination of Civil Legal Services Hurts Low-Income New Yorkers and New York’s Economy
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Legal Aid Cuts: State funds don't go far enough, and may shrink further (Syrcause.com)
According to some estimates, no more than one out of five eligible people in Central New York receives legal aid services that can mean the difference between self-reliance and indigence. The others are left on their own to deal with evictions, wills, child custody and support, domestic violence, immigration issues and navigating the parole system and appeals process.
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Empire Justice Center Praises State Senate For Acting to Stop Thousands of Children from Being Poisoned by Lead in their Homes Each Year
Empire Justice Center advocates applauded the State Senate today for passing the Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention and Safe Housing Act (S.6350/A.6399), a landmark bill to identify housing with lead hazards and provide tax credits to prevent thousands of children in New York from being permanently and irreversibly damaged by lead poisoning.
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Spitzer State of the State Message Brings Message of Hope and Unity
Advocates from the Empire Justice Center expressed optimism as they watched Governor’s Spitzer’s State of the State address today.
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Advocates Applaud Governor Spitzer
Advocates Applaud Governor Spitzer Proposing Needed Improvements in Health Coverage, Housing and Increasing Child Support to Low Income Children in a Difficult Budget Year.
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Report Highlights Racial Disparities in Mortgage Lending By Country’s Largest Lenders
Today at the Federal Reserve Board Consumer Advisory Council meeting, a collaboration of advocacy agencies, including Empire Justice Center, released a report showing that the largest lenders making both prime and subprime loans have a disproportionate share of their higher cost loans going to minority borrowers across the nation.
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We Need to do More to Help Less Fortunate (The Record)
There have been many examples over the past few decades of New York falling behind other states in various areas. One more is the lack of proper funding for civil legal services for the indigent.
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Legal Aid Optimistic that Spitzer will Fatten Coffers (The Record)
Public funding of legal representation for the indigent in Civil Court cases was largely pioneered in New York state, supporters say, but the concept has largely stalled out in recent years, leaving the state far behind many others that help the poor pay to have their cases heard.
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An Investment In Legal Services (New York Times)
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is grateful for your strong editorial supporting inclusion of adequate funding for statewide civil legal services in Gov. Eliot Spitzer's budget (''Justice for the Poor,'' Jan. 7).
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Justice for the Poor (New York Times)
Government has a critical obligation to provide adequate civil legal services for the poor, who would otherwise lack access to lawyers to resolve problems that could easily upend already tenuous lives, in areas like spousal and elderly abuse, child support, housing and disability issues.
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Children in Poverty: Statewide Numbers Mask Local Realities
The State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance recently announced that childhood poverty is at its lowest level since 1980. While the statewide data is accurate, they potentially mask disturbing county-by-county trends in child poverty.
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