Speaker: Lauren Donelly One of the keys to ending homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. This workshop will examine the most effective strategies to prevent family homelessness, including using homelessness data to target interventions and partnering with providers serving high-risk families. Presenters will cover a wide array of services and solutions.

1. Lauren Donnelly, Supervisor Housing Help Program
The Legal Aid Society
2012 National Conference on Ending Family and
Youth Homelessness in Los Angeles
February 9, 2012

2.  South Bronx is the poorest Congressional District in the U.S.
 49% of all children in congressional district 16 live in poverty
 Highest rates of unemployment in NYC
 Highest rent burdens in NYC
 The Bronx has NYC’s highest number of evictions
 It also has NYC’s highest share of shelter entrants: over 40%
 Highest rates of shelter entry in NYC are from zip codes 10452 and
10456 in the South Bronx
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3. Bronx Housing
Help Zip Codes
10452 & 10456
= Eviction
Filings
= Shelter
entrants
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4. Eviction and Homelessness
Most families who are evicted and enter shelter are unable to
obtain help before homelessness is imminent.
Over 95% of landlords are represented by an attorney in Housing
Court, while over 90% of tenants are not. This tenant
disadvantage contributes to eviction because:
 tenants lack an understanding of the law, legal notices,
proceedings and defenses;
 are intimidated by the legal process; and/or
 are unable to effectively negotiate with the landlord’s attorney.
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5. For many tenants, Housing Court is the
last stop before entering shelter.
Bronx Housing Court is the busiest
Housing Court in NYC. In 2011:
∼ 80,000 eviction petitions filed
∼ 90,000 applications to stop evictions
Court is committed to collaborative
relationships with City and State
agencies and community-based
organizations to prevent homelessness
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6.  The Housing Help Program (HHP) was developed
to prevent homelessness by providing legal and
social services directly from the courthouse.
 The initial pilot was funded by the United Way
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7.  The program is based in Housing
Court
 HHP cases are heard by two judges
who are dedicated to the program.
 Staffed by lawyers, paralegals and
social workers
 HHP is subject to rigorous evaluation
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8.  Provides services from the moment the tenant appears in Housing Court
and is automatically referred to HHP when they first come to court.
 All tenants facing eviction meet with HHP staff
 HHP tenants have access to a broad spectrum of social services during
and after the case

9.  HHP targets resources to serve more vulnerable families.
 HHP allocates its resources to ensure that virtually all are served.
 Unlike HHP, traditional legal services organizations lack the
paralegal, social worker and attorney resources to assist in all cases.
 HHP paralegals and attorneys provide hands-on assistance to
tenants through every step of their case. Cases are constantly
monitored through final resolution with full representation available
when needed.
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10.  Legal Services: Brief and Full
 70% Receive Brief Legal Services
▪ Provided when tenant is unlikely to need full representation
▪ Paralegals walk the tenants through the process
 Remaining 30% Receive Full Legal Services
 Short-Term Social Service
 Help tenants apply for public assistance and restore and retain
housing subsidies
 Provide financial counseling
 Long-Term Social Services
 Tenants needing longer-term assistance are referred to NYC’s
community-based homelessness prevention program,
Homebase
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11. Homebase works
collaboratively with HHP
staff, offering such services
as:
 Short-term emergency funding
 Assistance with obtaining
employment, public benefits
and accessing other social
service.
 Relocation as last resort
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12. ZIP CODE Borough ENROLLED HHP
10456 Bronx 515
10452 Bronx 357
11207 Brooklyn 232
11691 Queens 247
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13.  Evaluate the program based on the rate of
program participants who avoid shelter
 Used traditional family anti-eviction legal
services as a control group
 Available in all neighborhoods
 Emphasis on full legal services
 Most services provided in community offices
 Traditional model takes a triage approach rather than
focusing on long-term homelessness prevention
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14. 10% 9.4%
9%
8% 7.4% 7.6%
7%
6%
5.1%
5%
4.2%
4%
2.9%
3%
2%
1%
0%
1-Year 2-Years 3-Years
HHP FALS
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15.  HHP associated with reduced hazard of shelter
entry
 Our results may understate program efficacy
 FALS is subject to two counts of selection bias
 Comparing HHP to a pre-existing program
 Success due to many unique program features
 Further research required
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16.  Can be adopted by localities
 Needs a willing Housing Court partner
 Requires a legal and social service team
 Can be tailored to each community’s needs
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