A home is a RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILAGE!
Erie County leads the state outside of New York City in eviction filings. Since the pandemic, ten- to twelve-thousand eviction petitions are filed in Erie County every year. Over 80% of evictions are brought for nonpayment of rent, seeking on average $4,000.00 in arrears. Understanding that eviction has long-lasting impacts on families, the Western New York Law Center makes every effort to try and keep families in their homes through an agreement to repay the debt and preserve the tenancy. Generally, tenants are able to negotiate a repayment plan where the debt is paid out over a series of months with their regular rent obligation included – this allows families to avoid ongoing late fees, repay their debt, and maintain stability.
Where repayment agreements are not possible, either due to unaffordability or because the landlord has brought a holdover proceeding, families are often left asking the court for time to find a safe and stable housing environment. On average, families are able to negotiate two months of additional time to find housing which will meet their family’s needs. Additionally, families are able to negotiate what’s called a “mutual termination agreement” where neither the tenant nor landlord report their agreement to be an eviction. Instead, the parties agree that the tenant will voluntarily leave the property and that the parties will treat it as a mutually agreed upon end of their landlord-tenant relationship. This allows families to move on from an eviction with not only the time they need to make a graceful exit, but also with the stigma and label of a formal eviction on their record.
In a single year, it is estimated that over 1,500 unaccompanied youth and young adults in Western New York experience homelessness.
Families facing eviction are encouraged to contact the Western New York Law Center at 716-855-0203; Ext. 146 to request an intake. If you have received court papers and reside in the City of Buffalo or in Erie County, you are encouraged to call the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project (WNY-EPP) at 844-230-7376 before their first appearance. If you cannot call before your first appearance, you should go to court, or attend the virtual appearance for the Erie County Hub Court; the Western New York Law Center and our WNY-EPP partners are stationed in Buffalo City Court, Monday – Friday, to assist families facing eviction and you will be able to sign-up for assistance on the day of your first appearance.
Nico C. Soria, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Housing Unit