The Albany County Legislature is partnering with local legal and tenant organizations as well as the City of Albany to initiate a new pilot program that will assist residents facing eviction in Albany County.

On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Albany County Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce, Deputy Majority Leader Lynne Lekakis, and Legislators Sam Fein, Matthew Peter and Mert Simpson, joined by the Legal Aid Society, United Tenants of Albany and Albany Law School, announced a $160,000 investment for the Eviction Prevention and Intervention Collaborative (EPIC) program, which will, in part, offer legal assistance, referrals, information and advocacy for those facing eviction. The Legislature approved the funding on Dec. 19.

“Community intervention is critical in providing wrap-around services to residents struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Eviction prevention and intervention efforts can help to reduce the housing crisis that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. By providing certain tenants with counsel and additional solutions, there can be an amicable solution that keeps them housed,” said Chairman Joyce. “This funding serves as the first step in the process. We have heard many suggestions on what should be included in this program and I look forward to working with the Legislature on ironing out the details to ensure that this program helps as many people as possible.”

"Access to safe and stable housing is a necessity for a decent life. When someone is sitting before a judge at risk of losing their housing, they deserve representation that only an attorney can provide. The passage of funding for the Eviction Prevention and Intervention Collaborative is a major victory for fairness in our court system,” said Legislator Sam Fein, who sponsored the legislation. “Thank you Chairman Joyce and the entire legislature for working with me over the past year to make this a reality."

Once established, the EPIC program will work with residents whose households fall at or below 50 percent of the annual medium income. The highest priority will be to households below the poverty guidelines for legal representation. Residents will go through a screening process to ensure that those most at-risk are getting legal services or other essential resources.

Services will include, but are not limited to, eviction defense; assistance in transitioning to new permanent housing; referrals for community partners, mediation, financial assistance and other programs; and assistance in litigations and appeals.

The $160,000 from the Legislature is part of a $320,000 total investment that will be used for attorneys at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York; an Eviction Intervention Specialist to connect tenants with available resources through United Tenants Association; and to aid Albany Law School in their efforts to train court advocates and represent select tenants.

“As the economy continues a slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more low-income households are sliding into poverty and instability. Low wages and inflation, combined with rising rents and higher interest rates, are making housing costs even more unaffordable. State and federal funding for ERAP and LRAP is dwindling, applications are dropping - and evictions are climbing. It is critical, now more than ever, to ensure people facing eviction have access to legal services and assistance to protect their rights and access resources to keep them in their homes,” said Nic Rangel, Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York.

As of November 11, nearly 4,000 evictions were filed in Albany County for 2022, 72 percent of which are from the City of Albany. Currently nearly 2,000 tenants are at risk of eviction or one missed payment away from eviction due to “repayment agreements.” With over 700 people already facing housing insecurity in Albany County, the goal of EPIC is to prevent eviction and reduce the stress on the system.

“While 94 percent of landlords appear at Albany civil court with an attorney, a paltry 1.3 percent of tenants appear with any form of representation. This disparity results in unjust displacement and turns landlord-tenant court into nothing more than an “eviction mill”. EPIC will remediate some of this disparity and offer a significant number of low-income tenants a skilled negotiator and a sense of dignity,” said Canyon Ryan, Executive Director of United Tenants of Albany

“Albany Law School is committed to being a positive force in our community. This initiative, and our partnership with LASNNY and United Tenants of Albany, will help ensure that people facing eviction have competent representation. No one should face the prospect of losing their home without professional legal guidance. We want to thank the leadership in Albany County and the City of Albany for partnering with us on this effort,” said Sarah Rogerson, Director of the Justice Center at Albany Law School.