Evictions and tenant displacement have grown exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, rent increases and job losses have caused a major exodus from the City of Ithaca to other parts of Tompkins County. Tenants don’t always know their rights, and those most in need of support reside outside the boundary of the city. That’s why this team is expanding the network of legal assistance providers and pro bono support for tenants facing eviction and the threat of homelessness throughout the county.

The team is using a two-year Public Issue Network Grant to build upon services that already exist within the City of Ithaca, including a housing hotline for brief legal advice, a Cornell Law School practicum to provide counsel in eviction cases, a staff attorney at Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY) and an eviction monitoring project. The network will be focused on supporting low-income tenants and tenants who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.