Housing Court Help

  • Made By CUP With:
  • Community Partners
  • Tags:
  • Housing,
  • Court System

Leveling the field for tenants in housing court

Housing Court Help supports tenants' self-advocacy in their negotiations with their landlord’s lawyer on their day in court.

Knowing how to negotiate a good agreement with your landlord on your day in housing court can mean the difference between staying in your home and getting evicted. But many tenants don’t know that they have the right to ask for realistic terms for themselves, or how to get help understanding the agreements they sign.

CUP collaborated with Housing Court Answers and designers from the Public Society to create a guide to educate tenants about their rights and encourage them to stand up for themselves on their day in court. Comic book graphics give tenants useful information on how to ask for what they need, what language to watch out for, and how to get more help.

One tenant said she was having a hard time negotiating until she pulled out her copy of Housing Court Help and said "I know I have the right because it says so right here!"

Staff from Housing Court Answers explain the challenges tenants face in housing court and what that means for their cases.
The project team reviews an early design draft.

Check Out the Project

The cover and a spread from Housing Court Help

Buy a Copy $5

Click here to buy

Project Collaborators

Community Partner

Housing Court Answers

Jessica Hurd
Jenny Laurie
Louise Seeley
Mahkeddah Thompson
Jenny Cruz

Designers

The Public Society

Stephanie Lukito
Wendy Qi
Pranav Behari



Special Thanks

Pema Domingo-Barker, Cristian Fleming, Sam Holleran, Ron Morrison, and Mark Torrey

Product Details

12-page, 4.5″ × 6.5″ booklet

Funding Support

Support for this project was provided by The Rockefeller Foundation’s NYC Cultural Innovation Fund; and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.