Kingston offers free housing-related legal counsel to income-eligible residents

The City of Kingston has launched the Right to Counsel Program, an initiative that will provide free legal counsel to income-eligible residents regarding housing issues.

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley has been contracted to assist with the program, which will focus on helping residents with issues including potential eviction proceedings, habitability claims for repairs, claims under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, and discrimination proceedings.

The city government has allocated $500,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the Right to Counsel Program, and residents can qualify if they meet Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s eligibility requirements and have an annual income at or below 120% percent of the Area Median Income.

“We are proud to launch this program, which is designed to help our residents facing eviction in court or other pressing housing issues,” said Mayor Steven T. Noble. “Legal counsel can be prohibitively expensive, which makes this is a social justice issue – no one should lose their housing because they can’t afford an attorney. My team and I have been using every available tool to protect our residents from the housing crisis, and this is just another one of our strategies to keep our community members housed.”