WCA Response to the Westchester Office of Housing Counsel Opening

Pictured above: Allison Lake and other Westchester officials at the 2023 signing of the Access to Counsel bill

Article written by Angel Gray, Program & Policy Manager

Key Takeaways:

• Westchester County has opened the Office of Housing Counsel, providing free legal support for eligible individuals in eviction proceedings. To reach them, call 2-1-1, their helpline at 914-995-4814 or through their online intake form at housingcounsel.westchestergov.com.
• Westchester Children’s Association will continue to monitor ongoing evictions in the county through our Court Watching program and Eviction Dashboard, and will monitor the implementation of the Access to Counsel bill.

–

Yesterday July 24, 2025, marked a significant milestone for housing justice in Westchester County. Two years after signing the Access to Counsel bill into law in 2023, County Executive Ken Jenkins and the Board of Legislators officially launched the Office of Housing Counsel. The first of its kind in the nation that will provide free legal representation and support to income eligible families facing eviction.

At Westchester Children’s Association, we celebrate this accomplishment. As the leading children’s advocacy organization in Westchester and a proud partner in the advocacy that led to the passage of this landmark legislation, we recognize how life changing this will be for thousands of Westchester residents, especially families with children who face eviction proceedings each year.

As Legislator David Imamura stated, “If you are represented in housing court, you have a 90% chance of not being evicted”. For too long, Westchester’s lower-income families have entered eviction proceedings without the legal protections many landlords have long been able to afford with ease. This systemic imbalance has deepened housing insecurity and placed an unfair burden on families already struggling to make ends meet. George Asante, the Director of Housing Counsel, underscored this urgent need by pointing out the nearly 10,000 eviction proceedings which occur in the county annually.

The consequences of evictions are not just financial. Evictions destabilize families, disrupt education, harm mental health, and causes lasting trauma, especially for children. As Commissioner Leonard Townes stated, “children need a safe home to grow up in. Homeless children often struggle in school and carry those challenges into adulthood.” The rippling effects on young lives make it clear, evictions are not just a housing issue, they’re a direct threat to children’s well-being and their future opportunities.

This is exactly why Westchester Children’s Association launched our Court Watching program and Eviction Dashboard to further highlight the inequities in housing court, collect data, and bear witness to how these proceedings unfold. Through this initiative, we’ve become more aware of how devastating evictions can be for families, and how much of a difference legal representation can make in ensuring dignity, fairness, and stability.

We at Westchester Children’s Association will continue to monitor the implementation of Access to Counsel closely to ensure it delivers on its promise for Westchester families, especially those most at risk of losing their homes. We remain committed to holding systems accountable and advocating for a future where every child has the stable foundation they need to thrive.

As we continue our advocacy and oversight, we also want to ensure that families in need know how to access this critical support. Residents can reach the Office of Housing Counsel by calling 2-1-1, United Way’s social services hotline, which will begin directing those facing eviction to the Office of Housing Counsel.

The Office of Housing Counsel may also be contacted directly via their Helpline at 914-995-4814 or through their online intake form at housingcounsel.westchestergov.com.

For a directory of other social services available in Westchester County, please visit WCA’s Community Resources webpage here.

Office Of Housing Counsel Press Conference: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Cq3Mjh3vW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Westchester County Access to Counsel Press Conference (2023):

Help spread the word to ensure families access this critical support!