Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care.
LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer. Further, LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts and aims to create a work environment where everyone can bring their full selves to the work.
All non-managerial staff at LSNYC are part of one union and enjoy a generous benefits and compensation package, including exceptional healthcare, dental insurance, a vision plan, 21 vacation days per year (increasing to 28 days after the first year), 18 sick days per year, and a Loan Repayment Assistance Program. LSNYC staff can work remotely up to 50% of the time, job duties permitting.
Our Housing and Public Benefits Practices
The Right to Counsel (“RTC”) law was passed in 2017 after a successful tenant-led campaign by tenant organizers, advocacy groups and legal services organizations. The law provides income-eligible tenants who are sued for eviction in housing court with the right to an attorney to defend their case.
LSNYC’s RTC Unit focuses on implementing right to counsel, providing zealous tenant representation to low-income New Yorkers in housing court. Through our community lawyering approach, RTC attorneys work with clients to defend eviction proceedings, stabilize their housing, and remain in their neighborhoods.
Many of our housing clients facing eviction require public benefits assistance to fully resolve their cases and stabilize their housing long-term. To provide this assistance, LSNYC has public benefits experts that fights to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits, including emergency rental arrears assistance, cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, HASA benefits, and rent subsidies (such as FHEPS and CityFHEPS).
Our housing and public benefits staff work hand in hand to achieve the greatest results for our clients and provide the highest quality holistic services.
The Citywide Deputy Director, Housing-Public Benefits Initiative will lead and manage a new citywide initiative to provide additional public benefits advocacy to our clients facing eviction. Our public benefits staff citywide will be working with housing attorneys and community partners to prevent evictions, maximize benefits in the household, and eliminate barriers to promote longer-term stability for families and individuals.
The Opportunity
The Citywide Deputy Director, Housing-Public Benefits Initiative responsibilities include:
- Working with the staff citywide to promote a cohesive, strategic and innovative citywide practice;
- Fostering and communicating a vision for public benefits advocacy on behalf of clients facing eviction;
- Providing expertise to LSNYC advocates on public benefits related to housing preservation;
- Taking high-level responsibility for the staffing and budgeting for the initiative;
- Coordinating and participating in working groups and advocacy efforts focused on making systemic changes that better serve clients seeking public benefits related to their housing;
- Facilitating regular meetings of the citywide public benefits initiative staff;
- Managing the contracts that fund this initiative; and
- Advancing LSNYC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Work
The Citywide Deputy Director is part of the Legal Support Unit and reports to LSNYC’s Citywide Housing Director.
Experience & Qualifications
We seek a candidate with the following:
- A compelling vision of how the Housing-Public Benefits Initiative can advance housing justice and the rights of low-income people and communities;
- A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities, including communities of color and LGBTQIA+ communities to advance equity;
- Experience in coordinating systems development and implementation, hiring, training, stakeholder relationships, and other core practice management functions;
- A minimum of 5 years of experience providing civil legal services to low-income people or comparable relevant experience;
- At least 3 years of experience in public benefits;
- Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills;
- Strong organizational skills and ability to supervise a diverse, fast-paced, and high-volume caseload;
- Demonstrated skills in collaboration and consensus-building;
- Excellent leadership skills; and
- An ability to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Salary Range (Based on years’ experience): $112,000 – 178,000
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.
