Senator Lanza is partnering with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) in bringing a legal aid disaster relief program to Staten Island to help victims of the storm deal with a range of legal issues. Senator Lanza secured state funding for NYLAG's Mobile Legal Help Center – a vehicle staffed with lawyers and equipped with private meeting rooms and technology inside, which functions as a full-service office.
NYLAG's staff has engaged in rigorous trainings on FEMA benefits and other related legal needs in order to handle storm related legal matters for clients. NYLAG also sought the assistance of legal agencies that served victims of Katrina in order to apply best practices and lessons learned in the wake of that disaster to better serve individuals affected by Sandy. Senator Lanza has arranged for NYLAG's legal aid disaster relief team to be located at the following locations on Staten Island:
Thursday, Dec. 27th
Senator Andrew Lanza's Hurricane Relief Headquarters
4212 Hylan Blvd.
10 am – 4 pm
***SPACE IS LIMITED. AN APPOINTMENT IS REQUIRED. For more information or to make an appointment please call Senator Lanza’s office at 718-984-4073.***
The legal aid disaster relief team will be available to help victims of the storm deal with a range of legal issues, including:
FEMA CLAIMS
• Filing for FEMA and other disaster program benefits
• Appealing denied claims
• Documenting damage to homes and small businesses
CONSUMER MATTERS
• Bankruptcies and credit problems
• Contractor and other disaster-related fraud
• Financial and debt counseling
ACCESSING & CONTINUING PUBLIC BENEFITS
• Food stamps
• Medicare/Medicaid
• Social Security Disability
• Public Assistance
FAMILY LAW MATTERS
• Domestic violence
• Custody and divorce
HOUSING
• Insurance claims
• Eligibility for housing vouchers
• Landlord/tenant disputes
• Wrongful evictions
• Mortgage issues for affected homes
IMMIGRATION
• Immigrant eligibility for various public benefits
• Emergency immigration legal issues
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
• Accessing emergency unemployment benefits
OTHER
• Replacing lost documentation/identification
• Wills and advance directives
• Special education services for displaced disabled
Individuals seeking assistance with legal issues can also call NYLAG’s hotline at 212-584-3365 or email StormHelp@nylag.org [2].
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