New Program To Help Tenants Facing Eviction In Monroe County

Written by Tariq on October 1, 2024

A new pilot program is now open in the Monroe County Hall of Justice. The Eviction Diversion Resource Center, is the first of its kind in a state court outside of New York City. It will help people facing eviction directly access essential programs in the Hall of Justice. “This gets everything into a ‘one-stop shop,’” Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said. “It meets people where they are, and it meets people too when they really are in one of the scariest parts of their lives: they are facing eviction from their home.” Monroe County Department of Human Services employees will staff the center, which is located on the mezzanine floor of the Hall of Justice. Monroe County Department of Human Services employees will staff the center, which is located on the mezzanine floor of the Hall of Justice. DHS Commissioner Thalia Wright said they’ll be available to help with various needs in the center on Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Not with just rental assistance applications, but eligibility for SNAP, for childcare support, and any of the essential benefits that we administer at the Department of Human Services,” Wright said. “We aim to make these critical services as accessible as possible.” Additionally, the center will provide access to on-site paralegals who will work with tenants and landlords. Judge Melissa Barrett,the Seventh Judicial District’s supervising judge for city courts, as well as Judge William Taylor, the district’s administrative judge, are looking forward to having these crucial services right in the Hall of Justice. “In 2024, there have been over 5,000 eviction cases commenced in Rochester housing court,” Barrett said. “Many of those cases stem from tenants not being able to pay their rent for a variety of reasons.” “This is a place of crisis for many in our community, but as today demonstrates, it can also be a place of hope,” Taylor said. “It can be a place where people seek and find solutions,” Tenants who need assistance are encouraged to bring identification, verification of who lives in the home, all household income and a landlord statement.