Congregations Linked In Urban Strategy To Effect Renewal Inc

The westchester and rockland mediation center provides mediation, arbitration and training services to the larger westchester and rockland communities. Through a contract awarded to the center from the new york state unified court, mediation is offered as an option to individuals and families facing a current legal dispute in partnered small claims and family courts. Mediation is also offered to individuals, families, businesses, and school districts on a sliding scale basis when disputes are self-referred. The center offers mediation services for family, civil, landlord-tenant, trust and estate, commercial and matrimonial matters. Through a contract with the new york state dispute resolution association (nysdra), the westchester rockland mediation center provides lemon law arbitration services for cases referred in westchester and rockland county from the attorney general's office. Special education mediation is also offered and provided through a nysdra contract with the new york state department of education (nysed). In 2024, the mediation center provided over 721 mediations in civil, family, supreme, surrogates courts, and school-generated cases.

Cluster's eviction prevention services provide assistance to single individuals and families facing eviction due to non-payment of rent as well as intra and inter-personal disputes. Potential evictions have been exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, which has been the focal point of our direct service since 2020. Cluster case managers provide on-site assistance to clients in department of social services (dss) district offices in yonkers and mt. Vernon, and in our main office located in yonkers, ny. As part of our overall assessment, case managers provide detailed budget reviews, financial counseling and negotiate agreements between landlords and tenants to prevent clients from becoming homeless. In 2023, cluster provided funds to halt evictions for more than 150 single individuals and families.

Cluster's homelessness prevention services assist individuals and families who face losing their housing due to illegal evictions, code enforcement issues and emergency displacements caused by natural disasters. Cluster also provides clients with benefits advocacy, budget counseling, rental assistance and tenant rights education. Cluster also provides re-housing services for single individuals and families currently living in shelters. Cluster has also provided financial assistance to prevent homelessness for households impacted by the covid-19 pandemic ending in 2023/2024. Cluster assisted more than 1,300 families/individuals with direct services such as budgeting and counseling.