CALL TO ACTION: Support Tenants, Immigrants, and Excluded Workers to be included in the NYS Budget!

Join CRC this week in taking action to ensure Statewide Right to Counsel, Access to Representation, and the Unemployment Bridge Program are included in the NY Senate and Assembly’s One House Budgets.

Wednesday (3/13)- Statewide Right to Counsel and Access to Representation Albany Day!

Statewide Right to Counsel (A-TBD/May-S2721) - provides a right to legal representation to tenants facing eviction. The escalation of housing insecurity for all, but particularly our immigrant community, has hit record highs: this is no time to cut back on Right To Counsel in the New York State budget, it’s time to expand it!

With budget deadlines looming and many legislators still not yet committed to continuing support of RTC, it is imperative that we mobilize and get our legislators on board. $260 million in funding for Right to Counsel will cover approximately one-fifth of Statewide Right to Counsel’s total cost, with the understanding that the legislation will be implemented and funding scaled up, over time.

Access to Representation (S81B/A01961A) - establishes a right to access representation during deportation proceedings and increases funding for legal representation. It’s urgent we pass Access to Representation in 2024, accompanied by strong increased investments in immigration legal services. New York must invest $100 million in immigration legal services, comprising $55 million to begin implementing Access to Representation.

Unemployment Bridge Program(S3192 | A4821) - provides unemployment compensation to workers currently ineligible because of immigration status or because of the kind of work they do. Benefits, administration, and a navigator program will cost $500 million per year (with 15% going to administrative costs and for community navigators). The program will cover up to 750,000 workers who are left out of unemployment insurance, with 30,000 expected to get the benefits at any given time, assuming a 6% unemployment rate for freelancers, cash earners, and immigrant workers without unemployment authorization, and 70% for those in re-entry from immigrant detention or incarceration.

Action Steps:

Please contact your local state assembly member and state senator to express your support for these critical initiatives. You can find your representatives here:

To find your State Senator click here: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator

To find your Assembly Member click here: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

Sample Phone Script

Hi, my name is [NAME]. I [live or work] in your district. I am calling to urge you to support 3 important additions to the budget to support immigrants in our community who are so vital to our economy, our communities and the daily functioning of our society. Please support:

the Unemployment Bridge Program to provide unemployment benefits to immigrants not currently covered (S3192 | A4821)

Statewide Right to Counsel to provide legal counsel to tenants (immigrants or citizens) facing eviction (A TBD/May-S2721)

Access to Representation Act for immigrants involved in deportation proceedings (S81B/A01961A)

Please include funding for these initiatives in your one house budgets.

Thank you for your support and service to our state.

Sample Email

Hi, my name is [NAME]. I [live or work] in your district. I am writing today to urge you to support 3 important additions to the budget to support immigrants in our community who are so vital to our economy, our communities and the daily functioning of our society. Please support:

the Unemployment Bridge Program to provide unemployment benefits to immigrants not currently covered (S3192 | A4821)

Statewide Right to Counsel to provide legal counsel to tenants (immigrants or citizens) facing eviction (A-TBD/May-S2721)

Statewide Access to Representation for immigrants involved in deportation proceedings (S81B/A01961A)

Please include funding for these initiatives in your one house budgets.

Thank you for your support and service to our state.

If you have would like to join CRC's committee, please contact Janet Rolon Fry at jrolon@crcny.org or Carola Otero Bracco at cbracco@neighborslink.org