“The future of our nation depends upon the future of our young people – including young people who have become involved with our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “By helping justice-involved youth find decent jobs and stable housing after they return home, these critical grants provide a foundation for a fresh start and offer a path towards productivity and purpose.”
As the U.S. commemorates our first National Reentry Week, Youth Represent is proud to announce that, in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority, we have been awarded a Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to expand our community-lawyering model to public housing here in New York. The announcement was made yesterday by Attorney General Loretta Lynch and HUD Secretary Julian Castro during a Reentry Roundtable event. Only 18 grants were awarded nationwide.
“Reconnecting young people who’ve paid their debt to society to decent jobs and housing allows them to turn the page and become active, productive members of their communities,” said Secretary Castro at the event. “These grants offer a helping hand to those who deserve a second chance so they have a real opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Our project will offer the same combination of direct legal representation, Know Your Rights workshops, and capacity building that have become the hallmark of our successful community-lawyering model. Our staff will be on-site at New York City Housing Authority developments across the five boroughs, meeting young people where they live to minimize legal barriers to reentry.