NYers Are Getting Evicted During the Pandemic. Lawmakers Must Act Now.

2020-11-30T14:14:18-05:00November 24th, 2020|

City Limits

There are now more than 200,000 families across New York State in eviction court. Since Cuomo opened the door to new eviction cases in June, over 33,000 cases have been filed. With a million-plus New York tenants behind on their rent, this number will continue to rise.‘ - Marika Dias

Big Response, Huge Need: NYC’s Welfare System Amid COVID-19

2021-01-27T15:41:25-05:00November 23rd, 2020|

City Limits

"Indeed, for those who strike out online, HRA offers a telephone Infoline... In August the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center reported that in an informal audit of 98 calls to the hotline, 58 percent were dropped. “In addition to dropped calls, we also documented significant issues with language access, uninformed workers, and confusing menus,” the report contended. “Overall, the Infoline was found to be ineffective.”

Tapped-Out Tenants Take Charge as Landlords Pursue End Runs Around Eviction Moratorium

2020-11-18T19:59:27-05:00November 12th, 2020|

The City

Harassment “has really heightened throughout the pandemic since the court system has not been an avenue that has been accessible,” said Marika Dias, tenant attorney and director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center.

NY Gov. Orders Eviction Default Buffer In Wake Of Atty Pleas

2020-11-09T13:41:20-05:00November 5th, 2020|

Law 360

"Leaving it up to individual judges to decide behind closed doors when they are considering a landlord's request for a default judgment is... bound to lead to a range of inconsistent results," said Marika Dias, attorney and director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center.

Nearly 10K NYC Eviction Notices Filed This Summer, a 74% Drop

2020-10-05T19:22:18-04:00October 2nd, 2020|

City Limits

"And so what the governor’s done is not issue a universal eviction moratorium. It’s not really even a general moratorium,” said Marika Dias, Director of the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project and Steering Committee member of the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition.

NY Gov. Expands Eviction Defense Law, Not Moratorium

2020-09-30T15:15:41-04:00September 29th, 2020|

Law 360

"I think what the governor's press team tells us is what the governor's intentions were," said Marika Dias, attorney and director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center in New York City. "Ultimately, it will be up to the courts to decide the scope of the language of the [order] and what it covers."

New MTA Rules Are Criticized As ‘Anti-Homeless’

2020-09-25T18:42:19-04:00September 24th, 2020|

NYC Streets Blog

“The MTA is opportunistically using the pandemic to make long-sought anti-homeless measures permanent, right at a time when the city’s homeless population is most vulnerable,” said Helen Strom from the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center.

CDC Eviction Rule Likely To Have Limited Reach In NYC

2020-09-28T12:43:22-04:00September 14th, 2020|

Law 360

"We are basically telling folks they should not submit a declaration without getting legal advice first," said Marika Dias, attorney and director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center in New York City. "For most people, the declaration makes admissions without the moratorium actually offering them much benefit right now."

NY Courts Say State Has 1 Month To Act On Eviction Hold

2020-09-02T12:37:29-04:00September 1st, 2020|

Law 360

"Currently, in New York City alone, there are over 14,000 households with pending eviction warrants who are in imminent danger of displacement," Marika Dias, managing director of the Urban Justice Center's Safety Net Project, said in a Tuesday statement to Law360.

NY Courts Say Eviction Pause Continues, For Now

2020-08-10T12:48:03-04:00August 10th, 2020|

Law 360

"Cuomo's order gives permission for the courts to maintain a pause on eviction cases moving forward, but he's not requiring them to," said Marika Dias, managing director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center. "So we could see a situation where the courts decide that even though they have permission to pause, they don't have to. Cuomo has taken no steps to prevent that."