OLA of Eastern Long Island now has a weekly presence in the Justice Courts of East Hampton and Riverhead Towns after seeing a spike in eviction threats from local landlords and receiving numerous calls from Latino community members who find themselves potentially facing homelessness as a result.
Currently, OLA has assigned staff to be present during eviction cases in East Hampton Justice Court on Mondays and in Riverhead Justice Court on Wednesdays.
“One of the main reasons why OLA’s presence in the East End courthouses is important is that we can educate community members who are being evicted from their homes about help that is available,” explained Erika Padilla, OLA’s legal and administrative assistant, in a statement. “They come to their court appearances without legal representation, without knowing their rights as a tenant and the options they have.”
As the end of New York State’s eviction moratorium loomed and expired in January, OLA stepped up its presence by meeting with local town officials, the office of the District Administrative Judge of Suffolk County Courts and housing advocates to discuss how best to inform and support community members through confusing policy changes, as well as address the lack of information related to eviction defense and rent arrears support.
“We recognized that the moratorium could not go on forever, but because our East End community has five town justice courts to navigate, we knew we needed to work to secure consistency in approach and information across the courts,” Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA, said in a statement.
“We have handled some eviction cases with pro bono support from Jack Lester, a local attorney we have worked with for years, while others we have referred to Nassau Suffolk Law Services or Empire Justice Center,” she continued. “We are grateful for the support and the warm welcome from East Hampton and Riverhead town justices.”
OLA’s work in the courts complements and strengthens its work to administer New York’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, starting last summer. This statewide program helps those who have fallen behind on their rent payments during the pandemic to access financial assistance from the state, which goes directly to the landlord to pay their back rent.
“In my time observing eviction cases in East Hampton, I’ve seen different scenarios in which tenants behind in their rent payments had no idea that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program existed and that OLA could help them fill out the application,” Padilla said. “I am pleased that with our presence in the courthouses we have been able to educate and help our community to get the assistance they need.”
OLA is also able to help guide renters who have yet to file for ERAP, and those who need to check the status of their applications, according to Wally Ramirez, crisis response and recovery coordinator.
“It is also important to be able to offer information to families who are facing homelessness about potential help from Nassau Suffolk Law Services and Empire Justice Center, as well as other crisis resources,” he said in a statement.
Although OLA is a Latino-focused organization, its on-site support in the courts is for all community members needing help or information, not just Latinos, Perez said.
“OLA is here for the entire East End,” she said.
Staff Writer on Mar 22, 2022