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Q&A
Council Member Ayala questions DSS on Right to Counsel funding and legal assistance for domestic violence survivors
2:48:35
·
3 min
Council Member Diana I. Ayala inquires about the funding for the Right to Counsel program and a potential pilot program for legal assistance to domestic violence survivors in divorce proceedings. Commissioner Molly Wasow Park provides details on the budget allocations and addresses the questions raised.
- The Right to Counsel program's budget for FY '25 is $224 million, with FY '26 projected to be slightly higher at $197 million plus additional allocations.
- A $2 million funding request for a pilot program providing legal assistance to domestic violence survivors in divorce proceedings was discussed, but not confirmed in the executive plan.
- The discussion references Local Law 5 of 2022, which requires establishing a working group for recommendations on the pilot program.
Diana I. Ayala
2:48:35
Alright.
2:48:37
I have a question regarding right to counsel.
2:48:39
The executive's plan includes 15,600,000.0 in city funds for fiscal year twenty six to support the right to counsel program managed by HRA's office of civil justice.
2:48:48
What is this funding what is the funding added for and how was the amount determined and will this funding be used to expand coverage for eligible tenants?
Molly Wasow Park
2:49:00
Hold on just Thank you Scott.
2:49:06
So the 15.6 is replacing federal stimulus funding.
2:49:12
So it doesn't actually increase the total amount of funds available.
2:49:17
There is an additional $15,000,000 that was added that is an indirect cost adjustment for those providers and there was some fund, a small amount of money added for IOI, the 4.4 that was added for FY '26.
2:49:37
So there is a small amount that was added there.
Diana I. Ayala
2:49:39
Do you know what the total budget for Right to Council is in fiscal years '25, '20 '6 and in the out years?
Jocelyn Carter
2:49:48
I'm
Molly Wasow Park
2:49:51
an old person.
2:49:52
I can't read the tiny font.
2:49:54
So specifically for what we consider our right to counsel program.
2:49:59
So this is the right to counsel and then the anti harassment tenant protection services.
2:50:06
Total budget for FY '25 is $2.00 $4,000,000 For FY '26 it is 197.
2:50:19
There is some council funding that is in the FY '25 budget that hasn't yet been added in FY '26.
2:50:26
The $15,000,000 for the ICR adjustment is not actually included in that number as well because it needs to be cost allocated across all of the OCJ programs.
Diana I. Ayala
2:50:36
But once those funds are added,
Molly Wasow Park
2:50:38
it'll up.
Diana I. Ayala
2:50:39
It'll go up and it should be relatively the same number.
Molly Wasow Park
2:50:42
Yeah, so it'll be slight assuming the council funds and we thank the council for the partnership, assuming the council funds are added, FY '26 should be slightly above the FY '25 amount.
2:50:52
Again we need to allocate that ICR adjustment across the different program areas that are part of the larger OCJ universe.
2:51:00
All
Diana I. Ayala
2:51:01
right.
2:51:02
As part of the fiscal year twenty six preliminary budget response council called on the administration to add 2,000,000 in funding to the Human Resource Administration and the mayor's office to end gender based violence to establish a pilot program to provide free, brief legal assistance and full legal representation to domestic violence survivors and divorce proceedings.
2:51:21
This request is in line with local law five of '22, which requires the establishment of a working group to make recommendations regarding a pilot program to provide legal services for domestic violence survivors and divorce proceedings and subject to appropriations to then establish a two year pilot program.
2:51:40
Was the funding added in the executive plan for this pilot and if not when will the funding be added to address the requirements of local law five?
Molly Wasow Park
2:51:48
I don't believe it was added, although any of my colleagues will correct me if I'm wrong, but we will circle back with our colleagues at NGBV to follow-up on that.
Diana I. Ayala
2:51:57
Okay.
2:51:57
Alright.
2:51:58
Thank you.