Know your Tenant's Rights. New York Housing Courts are pro-tenant. Harassment by an owner is illegal, including withholding of services or any form of intimidation. You may be able to fight off an eviction for at least six months. If you are living in a rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartment, you can contact the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HRC) or call (718)739-6400.
You can call 311 and get help from HPD's Fair Housing Counselors. You can also get lawyers to answer your questions at the Housing Court Answers hotline: (212)962-4795. You may qualify for free legal assistance from the Legal Aid Society.
The "One Shot Deal" emergency assistance program helps people who are temporarily unable pay their rent due to unexpected circumstances. You can contact HRA's Infoline at (718)557-1399 for more information.
You can also visit Homebase for services to prevent eviction, obtain public benefits, short-term financial assistance, resources for relocation, financial counseling, and assistance in finding employment.
If you are a single adult, you can visit the following locations to apply for emergency shelter.
If you are an adult family, you can visit the Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC) at 400-430 East 30th Street, open 24 hours per day, including weekends and holidays.
If you are currently living in the shelter system and need additional support while completing coursework at Per Scholas, you can speak with our social worker Claire Cunoby requesting an appointment at the Get Support section of this website.
If you are a youth aging out of the foster care system in need of permanent housing, you may qualify for the ACS Housing Susbidy Program. The program pays up to $300 a month in rent, a broker's fee, security deposit, and arrears up to $1800. You may also qualify if your family has an open ACS case where housing is the main obstacle to reuniting with children in foster care.
Getting long-term affordable and/or subsidized housing in NYC is a difficult process. The waiting list for NYCHA Section 8 housing has been closed since December 2009. There are a few project-based Section 8 programs open to those in special circumstances. More information.
Food & Income
You can get information about the food pantries and soup kitchens near you by calling the Emergency FoodLine at (866)888-8777.
This comprehensive list of places serving food has schedules and times.
You can also use this map of community kitchens near you: FoodHelp.nyc.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as "food stamps") provides food assistance for nearly 1.8 million low-income New Yorkers, including families, the elderly, and the disabled. For support in applying for SNAP, you can make an appointment with a social worker at Per Scholas or apply directly online at Access HRA.
If you are a resident of New York, and you are unable to work or cannot find a job, or your job does not pay enough for your basic needs, the Temporary Assistance program may be able to help you pay for your expenses.
For support in applying for TA, you can make an appointment with a social worker at Per Scholas or apply directly online at Access HRA.
Unemployment Insurance is temporary income for eligible workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. You may qualify for extended unemployment insurance while you are going through this career training program.
For support in understanding and/or applying for unemployment insurance, you can make an appointment with a social worker at Per Scholas, or apply directly online here.
Health
You can call 1-888-NYC-Well to speak to the city's staff of trained mental health professionals, whose services are free, confidential, multilingual and multicultural, operating 24 hours a day and 7 days a week via phone, text, and internet chat.
You can also see these two lists of free or low-cost mental health providers for uninsured residents in NYC: Therapy Safety Net and a list by NOW-NYC If you are an asyulum seeker or immigrant refugee, here's an additional list of options for you even if you are undocumented or not a resident of New York: Weill Cornell Medical College Center for Human Rights .
You can apply for medicaid online here. For more information on the process, you can make an appointment to speak with the Per Scholas Navigator, Claire.
Family
Here is a list of free or low-cost mental health providers in NYC:
Learn about childcare benefits for low-income and unemployed New Yorkers here. If you are interested in applying or need other kinds of support for locating childcare, you can make an appointment to speak with Claire Cuno, the Per Scholas Navigator.
You can make an appointment to speak with Claire Cuno, the Per Scholas Navigator.
You can call the citwide domestic violence hotline at 1(800)942-6906. For Spanish language services: 1(800)942-6908. You can also call the Safe Horizons sexual assault hotline at (212)227-3000. This hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a free. Calls are free and counselors are able to support you with crisis and safety planning, assist with finding a shelter, and advocate for you with the law, no matter what language you speak.
The Domestic Violence Project(DVP) at the Urban Justice Center provides free legal representation and social work services to survivors of domestic violence. You can reach them at (718)875-5062. They can help with child custody, visitation, obtaining orders of protection, advocacy with child/spousal support, as well as assistance obtaining special immigrant juvenile status and legal advocacy on immigration.
The Safe Homes Project with Good Shepherds Services provides short-term shelter, counseling, legal advocacy and support groups in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Community
The New York Immigration Coalition has a list of community organizations that provide services to immigrants.The New York Public Library also has language learning classes and referrals to services for new immigrants, here.
If you need legal help with deportation, or as a victim of fraud, discrimination, or a crime, the Mayor's Office supports legal services which you can access here.
If you are an undocumented youth in need of support services after recent changes in DACA legislation, the Door has legal and immigration resources for dreamers, here. The Dream is here to stay.
Cabrini and Catholic Charities Services are two organizations that provide comprehensive services to new immigrants. For a list of NYC's local community organizations, grouped by category and neighborhoods, you'll have to wait for the next beta version of this site.
For labor disputes and human rights of employees, check out the city department here.
Make an appointment with Claire Cuno for more information and access to free or low-cost legal services.
Sorry to hear that you are struggling at Per Scholas. Before you decide to drop out, consider talking to Claire Cuno about getting more support, tutoring, coping strategies and ways to improve how you're doing at Per Scholas.
If you ahve decided that Per Scholas is really not for you, we can refer you to a list of other Workforce Development programs and educational training opportunities. Make an appointment.
There are many community organizations that we partner with to provide services to our students. You may feel more comfortable connecting with an organization from your cultural background and in your first language....[List by categories and neighborhoods to be included in next Beta version of this site.]