Provides civil legal services in the following areas: - Family Law: Assists with domestic violence cases, as well as with child support and divorce cases on a limited basis. - Housing: * Until further notice, the Housing Unit can only provide assistance with ERAP application issues and illegal lockout emergencies (ex: landlord changed locks, stopped a utility, etc. without going to court); cannot assist with any other housing-related issues at this time.* Typically assists with evictions, housing conditions, Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) issues, public and subsidized housing applications, terminations, illegal lockouts, landlord/tenant matters, and other issues. - Disability: Assists with SSI Appeals, SSI/SSD applications, advocacy for disabled individuals, benefits counseling, and funding of medical equipment. - Public Benefits: Assists with public assistance, food stamps/SNAP, Medicaid, denial of emergency rental and/or utility assistance, and homeless benefits. - Consumer Law: Assists with unfair debt collection practices and wage garnishment. Does not handle criminal cases, traffic tickets, money damage actions, estate work and real estate closings, torts, small claims court cases, worker's compensation cases, or unemployment.

Provides advice and representation the day of for individuals with tenant housing matters such as evictions at Buffalo City Court. Program services are provided by five partner agencies: - Neighborhood Legal Services - Volunteer Lawyers Project - Legal Aid Bureau - WNY Law Center - Center for Elder Law and Justice Also serves as the intake point by which clients in the City of Buffalo can access Western New York Eviction Prevention Program (WNY-EPP); see separate listing for more details on the WNY-EPP.

Provides civil legal services for mental health consumers, including assistance related to: - SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY/SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI): Appeal of benefit denial, Initial SSD/SSI applications, Continuing Disability Review (CDR/Cessations), and Overpayments - PUBLIC BENEFITS: Appeal of benefit denial, termination or suspension of: Temporary Assistance, Food Stamps (SNAP), and Medicaid (MA) - HOUSING LAW: Landlord/Tenant Disputes and Tenant’s Rights, Evictions (Advice & Counsel), and Section 8 Informal Hearings - FAMILY LAW: Uncontested Divorces, Contested Divorces (disputes other than custody or child support) on a case by case basis, Child Support, and Custody/Visitation - CONSUMER LAW: Bankruptcy advisement (Chapter 7), Formal complaints to Attorney General, Creditor Harassment, and Student Loan Discharge advisement (TPD-based on disability) - ADVANCE DIRECTIVES: Power of Attorney, Other/related advanced directives (limited basis)

Legal services are provided by advisors affiliated with the Center for Elder Law and Justice. Legal advisors may assist with issues such as advance directives, will preparation, elder abuse, scams, Medicare rights, pension benefits, landlord/tenant disputes, and consumer problems.

Offers a variety of legal clinics, outlined below. Access to Justice Hybrid Clinic: Students staff either the Help Desk in Erie County Family Court or the Pro Se Assistance Program in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York (Buffalo and Rochester). Animal Law Clinic: The Animal Law Clinic focuses on national, state, and local policy addressing animal welfare issues, such as puppy mills, feral and community cats, and former racehorses. Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic: A litigation clinic focused on civil rights and civil liberties, spanning constitutional liberties like free speech, privacy, due process, and statutory civil rights against discrimination. COVID Response Legal Clinic: Student attorneys serve unmet access-to-justice needs of the community, helping individual and families who are facing unexpected legal matters due to the coronavirus. e-Law Center Clinic: Works with diverse companies who are confronting a variety of business challenges specific to startups and early stage high-growth ventures. Environmental Advocacy Clinic: Focuses on state, national, and international environmental policy issues that have a direct impact on Western New York, as well as national and international implications. Family Violence and Women's Rights Law: Focuses on attaining justice and safety for victims of intimate partner violence. Mediation Clinic: Working on cases referred by local courts or other mediation agencies, students help resolve disputes in family law, small claims, and the community. Puerto Rico Recovery Assistance Legal Clinic: Provides practical legal research and thoughtful pro bono service through an ongoing collaborative effort to empower a resilient Puerto Rico.

Landlord and Tenant matters are brought in District Court, where you can sue for housing problems and evictions.

HCR assist with emergency financial assistance in the form of first month's rent and one month's back rent.

The Housing programs help people with a variety of housing goals and needs. For some clients, keeping their home and avoiding foreclosure is a challenge. We can help via our foreclosure prevention counseling, where we look for programs that help people keep their homes. Others may be preparing to buy a home for the first time, and we can help them too with our pre-purchase counseling and Essentials for Buying your First Home program. We also offer reverse mortgage counseling, rental counseling, and a few other services, programs, and educational opportunities.

Reviews and mediates complaints from individual consumers. Also provides information to consumers and seeks to ensure a fair and vigorous market place. The Bureau also drafts legislation and conducts studies and writes reports on emerging consumer problems and issues.

Provides financial assistance in the form of no-interest loans or grants to prevent loss of housing, upon qualification for individuals or families in an emergency situation. Services also include negotiating with landlords, and information and referrals to other agencies to help with re-location and other housing needs. Also offers budget counseling to help families become more self-reliant.

Help organize and counsel tenants regarding their rights and to fight for increased services, less landlord harassment, and more affordable rents

Provides a service, in collaboration with 2 other agencies (My Sisters' Place and Westchester Hispanic Coalition) to offer free legal services for poverty level residents or those who are victims of domestic violence for consumer disputes, housing, education, benefits, domestic violence, orders of protection, custody, child support, family law, including citizenship applications, work authorizations or other immigration issues.

Provides screening and referrals to individuals who need help with landlord/tenet disputes or eviction mediation, to local agencies that deal with housing issues.

Offers legal counseling, information, and assistance with such concerns as Health Care Proxy, wills, guardianship, power of attorney, living wills and trusts, consumer fraud, contractual disputes, tenant-landlord disputes, home ownership questions, neighbor disputes, Social Security questions, Medicare and Medicaid related problems, SSI application, and eligibility questions.

Community Mediation is to promote alternative dispute resolution processes that enable individuals, community/neighborhood groups, and organizations to resolve conflicts without litigation; and to improve community group and personal relationships through neutral third party, fact finding, conciliating, facilitating, mediation and arbitration. Example of Community Conflicts: Animal Complaint Breach of Contract Consumer/Merchant Employer/Employee Eldercare Family Problem Harassment Interpersonal Dispute Landlord/Tenant Neighbor/Neighbor Noise Petit Larceny Property Dispute Restitution for Damages Small Claims Theft of Services Violation of Town/City Ordinance

Provides free eviction defense and advocacy to families and individuals who are at risk of, or are facing, eviction. Services provided include: - Legal Advice: Assisting tenants facing eviction to better understand their rights and options; - Eviction Prevention Assistance: Intervening with the landlord or housing provider on the tenant’s behalf to attempt to resolve the underlying issue before the matter proceeds to court, allowing the continuance of the tenancy and stabilization of the tenant in their home; - Eviction Representation: Appearing with tenants in court; and - Referrals: Providing tenants with information about financial assistance and other services that may resolve the issues that led to a potential eviction in an effort to stabilize the tenant in their home. Provides an Eviction Prevention Hotline at 844-230-7376; not available for Buffalo City Court cases. Clients in the City of Buffalo can access WNY-EPP through the Attorney of the Morning Program; see Intake below for details. Program services are provided by five partner agencies: - Neighborhood Legal Services - Volunteer Lawyers Project - Legal Aid Bureau - WNY Law Center - Center for Elder Law and Justice

Provides prepurchase/first time homebuyers counseling, default delinquency counseling, budget counseling, housing assistance (Section 8 eligible), landlord/tenant assistance, reverse mortgage counseling (senior program) and referrals to other housing and non-housing agencies.

The Hudson Valley Justice Center offers direct representation and advice to low income residents of the Hudson Valley. The office focuses on the following areas of law: Eviction defense and other landlord-tenant disputes, domestic violence, Benefits hearings for eligible citizens, Immigration, Family Law Matters.

Provides a service, in collaboration with 2 other agencies (My Sisters' Place and Westchester Hispanic Coalition) to offer free legal services for poverty level residents or those who are victims of domestic violence for consumer disputes, housing, education, benefits, domestic violence, orders of protection, custody, child support, family law, including citizenship applications, work authorizations or other immigration issues.

The Hudson Valley Justice Center (HVJC) offers individuals facing eviction across Westchester, Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. direct representation and advice regardless of immigration status. HVJC will prioritize cases where clients are ineligible for other rental assistance programs.

Provides housing support services for low income individuals and families facing eviction and having been denied by the Department of Social Services.

Provides advocacy and mediation for tenants and landlords in and out of court to prevent eviction or in the updating of apartments, and will help with grants up to $500 to prevent eviction to eligible individuals. Also conducts workshops to empower people to help themselves.PLEASE NOTE: Currently no direct funding available but referrals are available

Provides a variety of services and assistance directed at the prevention of homelessness and preservation of housing.

Provides mediation programs to help people solve their problems, no matter the situation or setting. Mediation can: - Help couples looking to get divorced and or separated - Help landlords and tenants work out issues - Help parents and schools agree on special education matters - Help employees and employers resolve conflict - Help neighbors restore harmony in the community - Help families handle issues with teens, siblings, and aging adults - Help parents work out custody and visitation arrangements - Help parties with legal issues who are looking for an alternative to court Services are offered virtually, over the phone, and in person. In addition to mediation programs, the Center collaborates with local civil legal services providers to offer holistic legal services for victims of crime in Erie, Niagara, and Genesee counties. Center staff will work with victims to identify legal issues and to discuss pathways to achieving justice. The Center also offers Education and Training workshops that provide skills-based trainings, consultation, and coaching services.