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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by James Coger, Manager of Justice Connect at Center for Justice Innovation
5:47:54
·
125 sec
James Coger from the Center for Justice Innovation testifies about the importance of safe, affordable housing for community safety and stability. He highlights the Center's various programs and initiatives aimed at helping tenants stay housed, resolve housing issues, and improve neighborhood safety, particularly in black and brown communities.
- The Center provided housing support to over 2,600 residents in Harlem and Red Hook last year through housing resource centers.
- Community Justice Connect empowered over 1,300 residents with free legal information on housing issues.
- Neighborhood safety initiatives engaged over 50,000 NYCHA residents, focusing on youth investment and community-led safety actions.
James Coger
5:47:54
Good afternoon.
5:47:56
Good afternoon chair Sanchez, Yaya, and the members of the committee.
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My name is James Koger, manager of Community Justice Connect of the Center for Justice Innovation.
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Our mission is to build community safety by addressing root causes of crime.
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And central to that is housing stability.
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Safe, affordable safe, affordable housing underpins health, employment, education, and family stability.
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Yet far too many New Yorkers, especially those in black and brown neighborhoods, face unsafe conditions, evictions, displacement, and displacement.
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These harm fall hardest to women of color and their children.
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At the center, we work in both courts and community to help tenants stay housed and resolve housing issues before they escalate.
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In Harlem and Red Hook, our housing resource centers provided over 2,600 residents with court navigation, repair support, and legal connections last year.
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Our virtual court access networks help tenants respond to court notices and fight for repairs, while our housing navigators now support NYCHA residents citywide in tackling arrears, eviction risk, and habitability issues.
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Through Community Justice Connect, our local volunteers provide free legal information at neighborhood storefronts, empowering over 1,300 residents last year with housing being a top concern.
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Our pro se support project helps self represented litigants and civil court access services to address deeper issues beyond the court cases.
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Finally, our neighborhood safety initiatives engaged over 50,000 NYCHA residents last year, investing in youth, transforming public spaces, and strengthening safety through community led action.
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We ask that the council that the council's continued support to expand this vital work and break the cycle of housing instability and system involvement.
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Together, we can advance housing justice and safety for all.
5:49:57
Thank you for listening.