Legal Assistance

HRA’s Office of Civil Justice

The Office of Civil Justice (OCJ) was created at HRA in 2015 with the mission to coordinate, evaluate and improve civil legal services for low-income New Yorkers.  New York City has made an extraordinary investment in legal services to level the playing field for New Yorkers in need, many of whom face potentially life-changing legal challenges. This investment makes the City a national leader in providing such assistance for low-income families and individuals.

Read the Office of Civil Justice 2017 Annual Report.
Read the Office of Civil Justice 2016 Annual Report.

Free Legal Assistance for Tenants Facing Eviction

OCJ funds Anti-Eviction Legal Services in the housing courts and in community offices across the city.  We provide comprehensive, flexible, and individualized legal services to help low-income households avoid eviction and homelessness.

Services may include:

• Representation in housing court
• Negotiations with landlords and/or other advocacy assistance
• Inquiries into whether a tenant's rent level is correct, whether there are conditions that require repair and whether these constitute defenses to a proceeding
• Preparation and filing of required agency and court papers

OCJ is implementing the City’s Universal Access to Legal Services initiative. With Universal Access, New York City is the first city in the United States that will provide universal access to eviction defense legal services to tenants in Housing Court and in New York City Housing Authority administrative termination of tenancy proceedings. Implementation of this initiative will take place over five years, through 2022.

Currently, legal representation is available for low-income tenants facing eviction in Housing Court who live in the following ZIP codes:

Bronx: 10457, 10467, 10468
Brooklyn: 11216, 11221, 11225
Manhattan: 10025, 10026, 10027
Queens: 11373, 11433, 11434
Staten Island: 10302, 10303, 10314

These services are free and you do not have to be an existing HRA client to apply.  If you need legal help with an eviction, please find the Anti-Eviction Legal Services location nearest you by clicking here, by dialing 311 and asking for “HRA Legal Services” or by emailing civiljustice@hra.nyc.gov.

Free Legal Assistance for Tenants Facing Landlord Harassment

OCJ funds Anti-Harassment Legal Services to work in select neighborhoods across the City with tenants, buildings and tenant associations to help preserve their housing, protect against harassment or misconduct by unscrupulous landlords, and give representation and legal advice in evictions and other cases.  Neighborhoods where these services are available are:

These services are free and you do not have to be an existing HRA client to apply.  If you live in one of the ZIP codes listed above and need legal help because your landlord is harassing or trying to displace you or your neighbors, please call the Tenant Protection Hotline at (917) 661-4505, Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. If you live elsewhere in the City and legal help with harassment or displacement issues, please call 311 and ask for “HRA Legal Services” or email civiljustice@hra.nyc.gov.

Free Legal Representation for Immigration Legal Issues

OCJ and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of legal services programs for low-income immigrant New Yorkers in need of legal advice or representation in immigration matters. 

These services are free and you do not have to be an HRA client to apply.  If you need legal help with an immigration issue, please visit MOIA’s webpage, dial 311 or email civiljustice@hra.nyc.gov.