People facing criminal prosecution have a constitutional right to be represented by an attorney during trial, but there is no such guarantee provided for people facing civil legal issues including housing, domestic violence, healthcare, disability, and veteran’s rights. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) fills this gap by providing free, comprehensive civil legal services for low-income individuals whose basic human needs are at stake and cannot afford to pay an attorney. LSHV handles more than 14,000 cases annually, impacting over 33,000 people in the region. All its clients are living with low incomes, and many are vulnerable for other reasons such as disability or homelessness. With its team of attorneys, paralegals, and other support staff, LSHV provides direct legal representation, litigation, and negotiation for court proceedings; legal advice so that people can advocate for themselves; and non-legal advice, information, and referral to other services.
When LSHV takes on a housing case, its goals are to prevent homelessness for children and families, help families retain and build assets by keeping them in their homes, and help families maintain stability in work, school, and other areas of their lives. In domestic violence cases, attorneys provide comprehensive, trauma-informed, victim-centered legal services including securing orders of protection, and resolution of child custody and child support issues. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, LSHV saw significantly increased demand for legal advice and services in the areas of homelessness prevention, domestic violence, and pandemic-related unemployment assistance. The pandemic also created new challenges for staff as they adapted to working remotely, and to the need to stay constantly up to date on legal and policy developments related to the evolving public health crisis.
In 2021, LSHV received renewed general operating funding from the Dyson Foundation for its Mid-Hudson Valley offices in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties, as well as a special Safety Net grant to help prevent evictions and homelessness by helping people in need pay rent and utility bills they could otherwise not afford.