HOUSING
Housing Unit Eviction Moratorium Guide
submitted by Megan Poynter, Law Student updated January 5, 2021 CDC Eviction Moratorium Extended with Federal Relief Package On December 28, 2020, President Trump signed a Covid Relief package which extends the Centers for Disease Control’s Eviction Moratorium Agency Order until January 31, 2021. This protection is meant to be a floor, state policy can…
Read MoreForeclosures During COVID-19
Update on December 22, 2020: FHA extended its moratorium on new and existing foreclosures to February 28, 2021. See below for the HUD press release. FHA Extends Options for Single Family Borrowers Financially Impacted by COVID-19 | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HUD No. 20-214 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685:…
Read MoreOnline Legal Risk Assessment Tools Available
During this global pandemic more Western New Yorkers are struggling with issues related to safe and affordable housing, debt, health care and financial exploitation. The Center for Elder Law & Justice has two online screening tools available to connect older adults who may be facing these types of challenges with our office. The New York…
Read MoreState of Mortgage Foreclosures in Western New York: October 2020
submitted by F. Alex Fehrman, Esq. With COVID-19 still impacting our community, and likely to have a long-term impact on many people as we move forward, it is likely that multiple people are or will soon be facing mortgage foreclosure as a result of a newly found financial hardship. As courts continue to reopen and…
Read MoreCELJ Opposes Proposed Rule Discriminating Against Transgender Individuals in Homeless Shelters
submitted by Christopher Phillips, Esq. On July 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a proposed rule, entitled Making Admission or Placement Determinations Based on Sex in Facilities Under Community Planning and Development Housing Programs. The proposed rule would permit emergency homeless shelters to admit individuals based solely on their biological…
Read MoreNew York’s Tenant Safe Harbor Act
submitted by Kevin M. Quinn On June 30, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed into law the New York Tenant Safe Harbor Act (the Act), which provides further protections to tenants suffering from financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act prohibits courts from ever evicting residential tenants who failed to pay their rent during the…
Read MoreMemo sent to Governor Cuomo on Utility Termination of Services
submitted by Kevin Quinn, Esq. The following memo was sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo to ask for passage of S.8113-A / A.10521-A, to issue a moratorium on utility termination of services during periods of pandemics and/or state of emergencies.
Read MoreCommon Questions about Paying Mortgages during COVID-19
submitted by F. Alex Fehrman, Esq. With the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic throughout the state, there has been a lot of confusion over the past few weeks when it comes to homeowners making their mortgage payments. As an attorney who focuses on foreclosure prevention I have received many questions on this issue over the…
Read MorePaying your mortgage during Covid-19
submitted by F. Alex Fehrman, Esq. What if I have trouble paying my mortgage? This is a question that nobody wants to ask. Unfortunately, as the Covid-19 epidemic drags on and many individuals face an economic hardship, it is a question more and more people are asking during this difficult time. When your house is…
Read MoreResidential Security Deposits: Useful Tips to Help You Recover Your Deposit
Kevin Quinn, Staff Attorney Housing Unit Tenants often have difficulty recovering all or even a portion of the security deposit that they paid to their landlord at the beginning of their tenancy. The following are some useful tips we recommend using to insure that your transition out of your apartment is a smooth one. The…
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