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What’s Happening at New Economy Project
It’s been an eventful fall at New Economy Project! Check out a few highlights: New Economy Project and co-counsel settled a groundbreaking class action lawsuit, filed on behalf of low-income New Yorkers alleging fraud by a major debt collection network. The settlement is expected to benefit more than 353,000 New Yorkers, providing monetary relief and…
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Community Control: Organizing for Community Land Trusts in NYC
It’s no secret that we have an affordable housing crisis on our hands. Here in New York, with rents rising at exorbitant rates, more than half of New Yorkers are rent-burdened and 1/3 are severely rent burdened, according to city government. Homelessness has reached a record high, with over 60,000 New Yorkers on the streets…
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Employment Credit Checks Ban Takes Effect
Posted by Deyanira Del Rio — New York just became a more equitable city. Today, Local Law 37 goes into effect, making it illegal for employers to discriminate against job applicants and employees on the basis of credit history. New York City’s credit check ban is the strongest in the country, covering virtually all employers…
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Community, Labor and Civil Rights Groups Rally Behind NYS Payroll Card Rules
Organizations across the state and country have rallied in support of New York’s proposed rules to rein in the payroll card industry. New York’s rules would be among the strongest in the country and ensure that large employers do not use payroll cards to unfairly shift payroll costs onto low-wage workers. The New York…
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Payroll Cards: A Barrier to Fair Pay in New York
The New York Times published an excellent editorial yesterday — “Another Fight for Fair Pay in New York” — in support of NYS Department of Labor’s recent proposal to regulate payroll cards.
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@CFPB: Here’s A No-Brainer
Several times each month, lawyers from New Economy Project serve as volunteer attorneys at courthouses around the city, where we help New Yorkers defend themselves against debt collection lawsuits. Recently, while at Staten Island civil court, I met Mr. B, an older New Yorker, whose case struck me as a vivid example of why strong…
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A Fair Chance For All New Yorkers
Yesterday, the NYC Council passed the Fair Chance Act, which addresses unjust employment discrimination against New Yorkers who have been arrested or convicted of a crime. Criminal background checks currently block thousands of New Yorkers from sorely-needed jobs, and deny applicants the opportunity to demonstrate their qualifications or explain their criminal record.
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Tenant Advocacy Day Tomorrow
Early tomorrow morning, June 9th, thousands of New Yorkers will be traveling to Albany for Tenant Advocacy Day. Why? New York’s rent regulation laws are set to expire on June 15th. If these laws are not renewed, 1 million households currently protected by these laws could be threatened with eviction. If they are not substantially…
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You Are Not A Loan: Student Debt Strikers Fight Back
Have you heard about the Corinthian 100? Comprised of current and former students who attended the now-notorious Corinthian Colleges, the Corinthian 100 has organized a major student loan debt strike. Working with the Debt Collective, they are refusing to pay back their loans and demanding the cancellation of all student loan debt held by people…
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New Yorkers Rally to Demand Strong Rent Laws
In just one month, New York State rent and co-op protection laws will expire. If they are not renewed, 1 million households currently protected by rent and tenant regulations could be threatened with eviction. Renewal, however, is not enough. The progressive weakening of rent protections over the last two decades has drastically reduced access to…