Lawyers and tenant advocacy groups agree that New York City's housing court requires significant reforms, particularly in addressing the backlog of rent dispute cases. A panel from the New York State Bar Association is working on recommendations but faced criticism for not consulting legal aid organizations during drafting. The impact of proposed federal budget cuts to the Housing and Urban Development Department, totaling $33.6 billion, looms large over the court's future effectiveness. The panel aims to produce a revised draft that considers these federal funding cuts, with discussions expected by October.
"If we're going to be in an era with the current administration where we're cutting programs, it's not clear that dealing with housing court's structure on the other end is going to be meaningful."
"The draft version of the report was presented in April and later tabled by the panel without being released, sparking pushback from legal aid organizations."
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