ADVOCACY TIPS FOR AUGUST

ONE

Avoiding Rental Scams-Rental listing scams can unfold in a few ways. Scammers can steal legitimate rental listings for real places and pretend to be the landlord. Sometimes scammers use social media groups to post made-up listings for places that aren’t actually available to rent — and sometimes for places that don’t even exist. In either case, the scammer will rush you into paying an application fee, deposit, and/or first month’s rent, and promise to get you the keys right away — but instead, they’ll disappear. You’ll be left without your money and with no place to move into.

Take these steps to avoid losing time and money to a rental listing scam.

• Search online for the rental’s address, plus the name of the property owner or rental company listed. Do other ads come up for the same address? Maybe with a different owner or rental company name? Those are signs of a scam.
• Look up the rental company’s website and check if the property is also listed there. If it isn’t, the listing is likely a scam.
• Pay by credit card, which gives you the best protection. Scammers want you to pay in ways that make it hard to get your money back — like with gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps like Apple Pay, CashApp, PayPal and Zelle, or cryptocurrency. 
• Don’t pay for a property you’ve never seen. And never pay someone you’ve never met in person. If you can’t see the apartment or sign a lease before you pay, see if a friend can see it for you, or keep looking.

Learn more by visiting the Federal Trade Commission's website.

Nassau Suffolk Law Services, in partnership with Empire Justice Center, can now assist Nassau and Suffolk residential tenants with housing-related legal problems (like eviction) and a household income of up to 80% of the Area Median Income. Services are available through this partnership regardless of immigration status. Please call the office closest to you to see if you are eligible for legal services. Interpreters are available. Suffolk residents west of 112 can call 631-232-2400 and east of 112 can call 631-369-1112. Nassau residents can call 516-292-8100. Feel free to share our flyer in both English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole

TWO

SSI Tip For When You Turn 18- When you turn age 18, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will review your eligibility for continued SSI (Supplemental Security Income) payments based on the disability rules for adults. These include nonmedical eligibility rules related to income, resources, residency, citizenship, etc. These rules are different than the rules that were applied when you were a child. SSA calls this review an age-18 redetermination. SSA will notify you of this important change and the process for providing SSA with the information they need. SSA will usually contact you within a year of turning age 18. During this review, SSA will send you a letter to ask for the following information about your disability:

• Names of any medicines.
• Hospital stays and surgeries.
• Visits to doctors and clinics.
• Work activity.
• Counseling and therapy. Schools and special classes or tutoring.
• Teachers and counselors who have knowledge of your condition.

Doctors and other trained staff will decide if your impairment(s) meet the qualifying disability rules for adults. SSA's disability rules for adults are different from their qualifying disability rules for children. Historically, about one-third of children lose their SSI eligibility following the age-18 redetermination.

To learn more visit the SSA's website.

Nassau Suffolk Law Services' Disability Advocacy Project (DAP) assists disabled persons in appealing the initial denial of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability (SSD) applications. Eligibility for services is usually based on the receipt of Temporary Assistance (cash public assistance) from the Department of Social Services. Please call the office closest to you to see if you are eligible for legal services. Interpreters are available. Suffolk residents west of 112 can call 631-232-2400 and east of 112 can call 631-369-1112. Nassau residents can call 516-292-8100.

THREE

Housing Insecurity Prevention Assistance Programs Open

Suffolk Department of Social Services Rental Supplement Program is open for individuals or families experiencing homelessness - Please see flyers with eligibility guidelines for individuals or families with 5 or more.

Town of Babylon's Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program opened on December 18th, 2023. This program is for extremely low-income households who are in rental arrears to help residents regain housing stability and prevent homelessness. For more information and to apply, please visit Long Island Housing Partnership's website.

Town of Babylon's Mortgage Arrears Program opened on February 27th, 2024. The Town of Brookhaven (Town) is making CDBG-CV funds available for low to moderate-income Town of Babylon residents with mortgage arrears incurred due to a COVID-19-related loss of income. Funds will cover a maximum of 6 consecutive months of arrears, subject to a cap of $50,000, and are paid directly to the lender. For more information and to apply, please visit the Long Island Housing Partnership's website.

Town of Brookhaven's Home ARP Rental Assistance Program opened on August 1, 2024. The Town of Brookhaven (the "Town") Rental Assistance Program (the "Program") provides rental assistance to foster housing stability to "Qualifying Populations". The Long Island Housing Partnership ("LIHP") is administering the Program. Funds are provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"), pursuant to the American Rescue Plan. For more information and to apply, please visit the Long Island Housing Partnership's website.

Tip: Tenants planning to move out can ask their landlord to inspect the apartment (or rental home or other type of home rental) before the move-out date. They must allow the tenant to be present during the inspection. At that inspection, the landlord must tell the tenant what needs to be fixed or cleaned. The tenant then has the opportunity to f ix any issues to prevent the landlord from keeping part or all of the security deposit. 

Nassau Suffolk Law Services, in partnership with Empire Justice Center, can now assist Nassau and Suffolk residential tenants with housing-related legal problems (like eviction) and a household income of up to 80% of the Area Median Income. Services are available through this partnership regardless of immigration status. Please call the office closest to you to see if you are eligible for legal services. Interpreters are available. Suffolk residents west of 112 can call 631-232-2400 and east of 112 can call 631-369-1112. Nassau residents can call 516-292-8100. Feel free to share our flyer in both English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole

NSLS PRESENTATIONS

Understanding the Importance of Advanced Care Directives- The Legal Support Center for Advocates presents “Understanding the Importance of Advanced Care Directives.” Join us on Friday, September 13th, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm to learn about some basic advanced care directives you or your clients may need while planning for their future. Also, learn how you or your clients may be eligible to attend our upcoming Advance Care Planning Clinic.

Please register for this Legal Support Center for Advocates training taking place on September 13th, 2024 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.

Join us on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024, at 1:30 pm for our Learn About Law Services Series where we will discuss two of our units: the Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) and the Nassau Community Legal Help Project. You will learn how to make referrals to each unit and what type of legal cases each unit handles. Register for the presentation TODAY.

Did you miss any of our Learn About Law Services Presentations? Feel free to watch them on our YouTube Channel!

PREVIOUS Legal Support Center for Advocates TRAININGS

On August 28th, 2024, the Legal Support Center for Advocates presented "Empowering Your Future: Managing Student Loan Debt." Nassau Suffolk Law Services’ Legal Support Center for Advocates welcomed Nancy Nierman of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP). Ms. Nierman provided updates on the current student loan landscape including repayment options and other ways to discharge your student loans. EDCAP is a program of the Community Service Society of New York. Slides can be accessed on our website. The recording of the training will be coming soon!

On March 7th, 2024, the Legal Support Center for Advocates presented "Insights Into Attaining Student Debt Relief." Nancy Nierman of the Community Service Society’s Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP) provides expert guidance and essential insights on attaining student debt relief and navigating repayment. During the training, we review repayment options, with a focus on the new SAVE plan, and provide practical solutions and advice for struggling borrowers. We provided an overview of federal forgiveness and discharge options and the One-Time Payment Count Adjustment that grants additional credit toward some of those programs. Please register to view this training.

On March 5th, 2024, the Legal Support Center for Advocates presented "The Role of An Advocate." The Legal Support Center for Advocates and Director of Community Relations, Cathy Lucidi, describes basic tips on how to help clients using a holistic approach. Additionally, we discuss our new CARES Membership and the trainings we plan on offering in person and virtually in 2024. Please register to view this training.

On November 13th, 2023, the Legal Support Center for Advocates presented "The Strategic Guide to Tackling Student Debt." NSLS hosted Nancy Nierman of the Community Service Society's Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP) to provide expert information on formulating a plan to eliminate your student loans. The training focused on repayment options, such as the new SAVE plan and time-limited relief, which may give you credit toward forgiveness programs. In addition, we offered tips on how to navigate the return to repayment. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to take advantage of key opportunities available to you within the federal student loan system. Please register to view this training.

On September 8th, 2023, the Legal Support Center presented "Hero's Guide to Strategic Student Loan Repayment." NSLS hosted Nancy Nierman of the Community Service Society's Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP) which provided borrowers with the knowledge and tools needed to conquer their student loans with confidence. We delved into various student loan repayment options, exploring federal forgiveness programs and other relief initiatives available to federal student loan borrowers. Whether you’re just starting to repay your loans or seeking ways to optimize your current repayment plan, this webinar is your ultimate guide. Please register to view this training. 

Links to all of our prior trainings can be found on our website.

UPCOMING CLINICS, EVENTS, AND

LEGAL HELP RESOURCES

We are proud to provide our Summer 2024 Newsletter highlighting the successes of our incredible staff and volunteers. Learn more about our engagement within the community and read client testimonials thanking us for our work. Additionally, check out our "Profiles in Commitment," pictures from the 2024 Gala, and NSLS Staff and Advisory Council News. Lastly, learn about a bis NSLS announcement! Thank you to everyone who contributed to the newsletter and thanks for reading!

Education Debt Clinic



This month our EDCAP (Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program) Staff Attorney will be joining CLHP to provide consultations to Long Islanders with education debt questions. Please see the dates and locations on our flyer.

Sample Cease Dunning Letters

If you or a client is being contacted over the phone by a debt collector, request that they send you whatever they have in writing. It is important to never give personal information, like your social security number, over the phone. Once you receive the letter, you can do more investigation on whether or not you owe the debt alleged. One way of doing this is to request verification of the debt. The debt collector must verify the debt in writing. Whether you agree that you owe the debt or not, you can write what is called a “cease-dunning” letter to the debt collector. This essentially states that you wish for the debt collector to stop contacting you by phone or in writing. For sample verification and cease-dunning letters, please visit our website.

Nassau County

Volunteer Lawyers Project

The Volunteer Lawyers Project is an innovative pro bono program to expand the availability of legal services to Nassau County residents in need. The Project provides an opportunity for attorneys to represent clients and volunteer their time and expertise by providing free legal services. The Volunteer Lawyers Project needs pro bono assistance in the areas of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Divorce, Article 17A Guardianships, Health Care Proxies, Name Changes, Power of Attorney, and Wills. 

Contact: Reisa Brafman, Esq., 516-292-8100 ext. 3380, rbrafman@nsls.legal

Bankruptcy Clinics through the Volunteer Lawyers Project

Currently, clinic appointments are one-on-one with attorneys consulting with clients in person, by phone, or virtually. Volunteer attorneys guide those considering bankruptcy, screening for referral to pro bono attorneys for filing of Chapter 7 petitions. This is a limited engagement, though participating attorneys may also be referred cases.   

Contact: Reisa Brafman, Esq., 516-292-8100 ext. 3380, rbrafman@nsls.legal

Community Legal Help Project

The Community Legal Help Project recently expanded into Nassau County. We are looking for attorneys to provide pro bono half-hour consultations with Nassau County Residents. The areas of law most in need are immigration, family, matrimonial, elder, and bankruptcy.

Contact: Roberta Scoll, Esq., 516-292-8100 ext. 3115, rscoll@nsls.legal

Suffolk County 

Pro Bono Project

The Pro Bono Project is an innovative pro bono program to expand the availability of legal services to Suffolk County residents in need. The Project provides an opportunity for attorneys to represent clients and volunteer their time and expertise by providing free legal services. The Pro Bono Project needs pro bono assistance in the areas of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Divorce, Article 17A Guardianships, Health Care Proxies, Name Changes, Power of Attorneys, and Wills. 

Contact: Kiersten Bartolotta, Esq., 631-232-2400 ext. 3311, kbartolotta@nsls.legal

The Suffolk County Pro Bono Project is now on Paladin! Please take a look at our current volunteer attorney opportunities and connect with us!

Community Legal Help Project

The Community Legal Help Project (CLHP) is a partnership of legal providers created by the NYS Permanent Commission on Access to Justice and the Suffolk County Access to Justice Committee. The CLHP’s network of non-profit partners and pro bono volunteers currently provides legal information and referrals, and limited-scope representation through a phone line and brief in-person consultations at public libraries. Attorneys with a background in immigration, family, elder and/or matrimonial law are needed to assist the community. Volunteer attorneys can dedicate their time monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or at their leisure.

Contact: Rashika Hettiarachchi, Esq., 631-232-2400 ext. 3391, rhettiarachchi@nsls.legal

This year we reach out to all of our supporters in hopes that you will continue to support Law Services, the largest provider of free civil legal assistance to Long Islanders in need. The past few years have shown us when we help, respect, and support each other, together we can accomplish anything, and our Long Island communities will once again thrive.  For many Long Islanders, having a stable income, permanent housing, access to healthcare, and, most importantly, access to equal justice under law, gives them the support they need to begin to rebuild their lives. Your continued support can really make a difference to your neighbors in need by assisting Nassau Suffolk Law Services in “Doing What’s Legally Possible to Create a Just World.”  We are Long Islanders helping Long Islanders.