BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ & LEGAL SERVICES NYC-BRONX ANNOUNCE MAJOR STEP FORWARD

March 23, 2012, Bronx, NY —Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson joined other officials and community leaders to announce a major new development which will be the new home of Legal Services NYC-Bronx. Legal Services NYC-Bronx will soon open their new ADA-accessible home at the Hub on E.149th and Brook Avenue. The new office will be a dignified community space and safe-haven where all clients can access free civil legal services in confidence and comfort.  The facility includes a new green space and provides the accessibility and service capacity that clients deserve. (Photo: Borough President  Diaz and Senator Hassell-Thompson with Legal Services NYC-Bronx staff)

See video of the event.

Last year, the New York City Economic Development Corporation
announced its selection of Triangle Equities as the developer of
underdeveloped land at the Hub in the South Bronx with Legal Services
NYC as an the purchaser of a commercial condominium that is three times
the size of their current office and is fully ADA accessible.

Legal Services NYC-Bronx is now one significant step closer to
making this dream a reality with a pledge of  support by the Bronx
delegation of the New York City Council and Council Member Annabel
Palma, Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Borough President Diaz,
and the Bronx delegation of the New York State Assembly. These community
leaders have demonstrated the importance they place on direct services
to the poor by standing behind Legal Services NYC Bronx in its quest for
a home that has the capacity they need to deliver their vital services.

“By more than doubling their size, Legal Services NYC-Bronx will
continue to provide much needed free legal services to thousands of
Bronx residents in their time of need.  I look forward   to seeing the
completion of this new facility and know this new holistic approach will
help improve the lives of Bronxites for years to come,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“We at Legal Services NYC-Bronx are overwhelmed by the show of support
we have received from Bronx elected officials in our quest for a new
home. For years, we have been searching for an office that is large
enough for our seventy person staff, for all of our clients to receive
services in confidential and dignified surroundings, to hold community
meetings, and that is fully ADA accessible. We have an opportunity to
purchase newly constructed office space as part of a City-sanctioned
development project but would not be able to make our dream a reality
without the continued backing of our community leaders. We are grateful
to all of them,” said Legal Services NYC-Bronx Project Director, Jennifer Levy, Esq.

“Legal
Services NYC-Bronx has a long history of providing top-level legal
assistance in our borough, but it's been clear for a while that they
have outgrown their space and needed a new home to better serve
Bronxites in need," said Council Member Annabel Palma. "This new
development clearly offers a win-win in that it will provide Legal
Services NYC-Bronx with the space they need to function while helping to
revitalize the area around the Hub."

“Legal Services NYC-Bronx is the largest provider of free civil legal
services in the borough; touches the lives of more than 10,000 people;
and helps to bring more than $7 million into the homes of low-income
Bronx residents through their outstanding advocacy work.  This is why
supporting LS NYC-Bronx’ work to find a new home is something those of
us in government must do,” said Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo. 
“It is especially pleasing that Legal Services NYC-Bronx will serve as
an anchor for the development of a site that for too long has been a
negative aspect of our community.”

“As a strong supporter of legal services, I am very pleased that Legal
Services NYC-Bronx will open this new office.  As Chair of the Committee
on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse &
Disability Services, responsible for the oversight of disability
services, I am particularly pleased that the office will be
ADA-accessible,” said Council Member G. Oliver Koppell.

Council Member Helen Diane Foster stated, “There is no greater
service we can offer the residents of the Bronx than superb help and
protection against the legal challenges our people face daily to their
rights of permanent housing, excellent education, and respect for our
elderly and disabled, amongst other challenges.  Increased legal service
in a larger, brand new building will renew our desire for the highest
quality of services that our people need and deserve."

“This development is a major step forward in providing an essential and
critical service to our most vulnerable Bronxites.  The space will
provide clients and the overall community with much needed resources.  I
am thrilled to have this opportunity to continue working with Legal
Services NYC-Bronx to create stronger communities within our borough,”
said City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera.

"This expansion of Legal Services NYC-Bronx is critically important and
long overdue. Legal Services NYC-Bronx has provided invaluable
representation to Bronx residents for years, and has been a leader in
the area of foreclosure prevention. With the Bronx having the second
highest number of foreclosures in the state, this new space will allow
the more than 8,000 families possibly facing foreclosure to receive
guidance and legal representation in a safe and comforting environment. I
am proud to work with them as they continue to provide affordable legal
representation to all Bronxites in need,” said State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein.

“By expanding their services and opening a new site, Legal Services
NYC-Bronx is helping to ensure that the thousands of Bronxites who
qualify and need free legal services have access to them. In these
critical times when individuals are made vulnerable by dealing with
various and often confusing legal systems, it is vital that
organizations that offer free legal assistance make services more
accessible. This is an important victory for Legal Services NYC-Bronx
and I congratulate them on their commitment to the Bronx,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.

“As someone who has consistently fought for fair funding for civil legal
services, I am pleased to welcome Legal Services NYC-Bronx to their new
home.  I cannot overstate how valuable the numerous services provided
by Legal Services NYC-Bronx are to our community. Our residents who need
legal assistance to stop foreclosure actions, fight for unemployment
benefits, fight against housing evictions, debt collection and scores of
other actions will now have easy and available access to competent
counsel,” said Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson.

"In these tough economic times Legal Services NYC-Bronx provides
critical help for struggling families who face legal issues like
foreclosure, eviction, education access, disability access and elder
care representation. This new facility will provide Bronx residence with
a one stop shop to access all of these much needed services," said Assemblyman Carl Heastie.

"Congratulations to Legal Services NYC-Bronx on their new and bigger
home.  Legal Services NYC-Bronx has served the borough with distinction,
providing free legal representation and counsel to countless Bronx
residents.  I look forward to welcoming them to their new home where
they will fight for the rights of even more Bronxites,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

 “I am ecstatic to hear about the new home of Legal Services NYC- Bronx.
So many of our constituents are in great need of these free legal
services and with this expansion more of our residents will take
advantage of it in a new environment where they are given the respect
and privacy they need. I look forward to seeing how this will positively
impact our community,” said Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo.

“My office is in constant contact with Legal Services NYC-Bronx and for
years they have proven to be an invaluable resource for many west Bronx
families,” said Assemblywoman Vanessa L. Gibson. “The building of
their new office marks a true milestone and is an important investment
in protecting the legal rights of families throughout the borough.” 

Legal Services NYC-Bronx is the largest provider of free civil legal
services in the borough and the largest Legal Services office in the
City.

“My son was in trouble. The bullying at his school had gotten so bad
that he was threatening suicide and was close to failing out of school. I
went to the principal but nothing changed. My Legal Services attorney
turned everything around. My son is now at a school that doesn't
tolerate bullying.  His grades are in the top 10%, but even more
important, he is no longer depressed and afraid to leave his room. Legal
Services saved my son's life,” said Legal Services NYC-Bronx client Elsie Perez.

 “I am a veteran and initially I came to Legal Services NYC-Bronx to be
helped with social security services.  Legal Services NYC-Bronx in now
working in collaboration with the Bronx VA Medical Center.  In the
process I found out that LS NYC-Bronx could also help me with my HRA
problems.  Eventually, I learned about the madness that is the welfare
system, but Sienna represented me at one of my hearings and gave me the
legal advice that finally helped me straighten out some HRA issues.  I
am willing to say to the world "hey, this system is broken!"  There are
so many people who don't know what to say, or do, or how to fight back. 
Well I am a veteran so I don't know how to quit.  Legal Services
NYC-Bronx helps their clients navigate this broken system to get the
help they need,” said Legal Services NYC-Bronx client Mr. Luis Camacho.

On an annual basis, Legal Services NYC-Bronx provides direct services to
10,000 Bronx residents, preventing evictions and foreclosures,
enforcing the right of disabled and disadvantaged children to a decent
public education, ensuring access to medical care, protecting the
elderly from fraud and neglect, and providing the support necessary to
permit the victims of domestic violence to escape their abusers.

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