At Make the Road NY as we face this pandemic we are shifting our work to respond to this crisis and to protect our members, staff and community. 

Donate to our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund

Here’s how we have been taking action:

  • Creating and disseminating accurate, bilingual and culturally competent materials on the virus to our 24k+ members and others in our communities.
  • Holding Know Your Rights trainings for community members online so people have the latest information on immigration enforcement, Census participation and other critical issues.
  • Waging advocacy campaigns to promote policies that protect working class New Yorkers during this time, such as imposing moratoriums on home evictions and immigration enforcement.
  • Shifting our ways of working to minimize contact — moving adult literacy classes online, for example, and having video calls instead of in-person organizing committee meetings — in order to continue to meet the needs of the people we serve and keep us all safe from the virus. Starting Monday, our physical offices will be closed.
  • Continuing to provide screening and legal support to individuals who might be impacted by the new public charge rule and connecting people to health care and services.
  • Staffing a Coronavirus hotline for vulnerable communities.

Please visit the following websites for helpful resources:

OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS

Effective Monday, March 16th our community OFFICES ARE PHYSICALLY CLOSED for most uses for the time being. 

However, we are providing remote support to our community members via telephone and web-based services, virtual classrooms, and online organizing. This includes classes, screenings, legal counseling, health access and other services. 

To reach us, please call a Make the Road NY hotline in your area and we’ll do our best to help answer any questions:

  • Bushwick, Brooklyn – (718) 418-7690
  • Jackson Heights, Queens –  (718) 565-8500
  • Port Richmond, Staten Island – (718) 727-1222
  • Brentwood, Long Island – (631) 231-2220
  • White Plains, Westchester – (914) 948-8466

Thank you for your patience and collaboration.

WORKERS RIGHTS RESOURCES

Watch our recent online trainings for critical safety and Know Your Rights Information

Safety Protections for Essential Workers in a Pandemic 

Workers Rights and the COVID-19 Crisis (in Spanish)

How to protect your health as a domestic worker during the COVID-19 Crisis (in Spanish)

Download this guide to learn how to apply for unemployment insurance step-by-step. (Updated JULY 2020).

Paid Sick Leave: What Employees Need to Know

New York City

Most workers in NYC have the right to sick time. If you work in NYC for more than 80 hours a year, you can earn up to 40 hours of leave to care for yourself or anyone you consider family. You can start using your sick time 120 days after your first day of employment. You can use your time to stay home if you or a family member is sick or to go to medical appointments. 

If your employer has five or more employees, you have a right to paid leave. If your employer has fewer than five employees, you have a right to unpaid leave. 

Domestic workers in NYC who have worked (i) for the same employer for at least one year, and (ii) worked more than 80 hours in a year for that employer, are entitled to two paid days of sick leave each year.

Your employer cannot refuse to let you use the sick time that you have earned, punish you for requesting or using earned sick time, or make you find a replacement worker before letting you use your sick time. Your employer cannot require medical documentation for using your sick time if you are taking three consecutive days off of work or less. 

To learn more or to report a problem, call 311.

Westchester

Most workers in Westchester have the right to sick time.  The Westchester paid sick days law went into effect in 2019.  If you work in Westchester for more than 80 hours a year, you can earn up to 40 hours of leave to care for yourself or anyone you consider family. You can start using your sick time 120 days after your first day of employment. You can use your time to stay home if you or a family member is sick or to go to medical appointments. 

If your employer has five or more employees, you have a right to paid leave. If your employer has fewer than five employees, you have a right to unpaid leave. 

Your employer cannot refuse to let you use the sick time that you have earned, punish you for requesting or using your earned sick time, or make you find a replacement worker before letting you use your sick time. Your employer cannot require medical documentation for using your sick time if you are taking three consecutive days off of work or less.  

To learn more or to report a problem, call the Department of Consumer Affairs at (914) 995-2155.

UNEMPLOYMENT RESOURCES 

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS RESOURCES

We encourage folks to remain home if they feel sick, and to continue to see their homes as safe spaces. Remember that ICE cannot enter your home without a signed warrant by a judge.

If you hear a knock at your door and you believe that it is ICE DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. A good practice is to always ask who is behind the door before opening it. If you hear a knock and then hear “police” it very well could be ICE. Always ask to see a warrant.

No one should be afraid to go to the doctor and seek medical care, regardless of their immigration status. Your health is important. You cannot be denied emergency services based on your ability to pay. There is no ICE presence in hospitals, and you do not need to disclose your immigration status when going to the emergency room to access services. They may ask for this information though for benefit enrollment purposes.

IMMIGRATION UPDATES

These are the most recent updates for NEW YORK as of March 19, 2020.

Case Processing

  • ALL immigration court hearings in NY for people who are NOT detained are canceled. People with canceled hearings should receive a new hearing notice in the mail, but should also be in contact with their attorney and/or check 1-800-898-7180 to make sure they receive prompt information about the new date. This is very important because there are many reasons why a new hearing notice might not actually make it to the person. We do not know when the courts will re-open
  • ALL immigration court hearings in NY for people who are detained continue to move forward 
  • ALL interviews, biometrics appointments (fingerprints and photos), and naturalization ceremonies scheduled at USCIS in NY between now and at least April 1 are canceled. People with canceled dates should receive a new date in the mail
  • However, for now, USCIS, immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, etc., continue to review and issue decisions on some applications/cases, so it is possible people will receive written, time-sensitive notices that still require a response.

Enforcement 

  • ALL check-ins (when a person needs to report in-person to ICE or a private company [BI], including ISAP) scheduled between now and April 14 in NY are canceled. People will receive information about a new date by phone or in the mail, but should speak with their attorney or get advice from an attorney if they are unrepresented.    
  • While ICE has announced a potential shift in who is a priority for arrest, ICE continues to arrest people. MRNY has signed on to several demands that ALL arrests stop.
  • Conditions in detention are deteriorating. MRNY has signed on to several demands that ALL people detained be released. MRNY is preparing release requests for particularly vulnerable individuals.

Getting Help 

  • If a person has an attorney, they should contact that attorney  
  • People can continue to call 311 to request an appointment through ActionNYC — the appointment will be telephonic. This is a good option for someone who does NOT have an attorney AND is NOT detained.

Immigrant Protestors in NYC

Immigrants, including undocumented people, have a deep history of engaging in protests in order to fight for liberation. There are many guides to know your rights when interacting with police and all should read them! But if you live in NYC, and are not a U.S. citizen, here is some additional information, just for you:

HOUSING RIGHTS RESOURCES

On December 17th, New York State announced that it’s reopening applications for the rent relief program that started this past summer.  The application period is open once again now through Monday, February 1, 2021.

The requirements to apply are the same for the most part, but one requirement has been dropped — households no longer need to demonstrate that they pay more than 30% of their income towards the rent.  

People who previously submitted applications and were denied do not have to resubmit applications.  However, it is a good idea for those people to check with the agency to ensure that their original application is being reconsidered. New applications can be submitted online here. The state agency can be reached at 833-499-0318 or emailing covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov.

There have been a series of executive orders, court directives, and legislative changes. What does it all mean for evictions, new case filings, court closures and pre-COVID cases?

UPDATE ON HOUSING MORATORIUMS AS OF AUGUST 12, 2020

There are new directives today stating that no eviction can take place before October 1, 2020.  Those evictions would be only in cases where there was an order from court and/or a warrant of eviction prior to March 17, 2020.  Before that eviction can be carried out, a landlord must serve a motion on the tenant, and the case must be conferenced in front of a judge.

For the most part, Housing Court cases commenced after March 17, 2020 are not moving forward. Please remember to speak with an attorney about any specific questions about your case!

UPDATE ON HOUSING MORATORIUMS AS OF MAY 7, 2020

Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order on May 7, 2020, which extends and changes a previous order for an eviction moratorium. The Order, in effect, created two separate moratoriums. The information available about these moratoriums is confusing and sometimes contradictory. For this reason, we urge tenants to speak to an attorney to better understand their rights during this health crisis. You can arrange a consultation with a lawyer at Make the Road NY by speaking to an organizer, or you can call 311 for legal services in other parts of NYC.

HEALTH AND FOOD PROGRAM RESOURCES

Health Services during COVID-19

Our Health team offers support in applying for food stamps and health insurance, finding LGBTQ and TGNCIQ resources and HIV testing sites, speaking with health advocates, and accessing our food pantry services.

Food Programs in the Time of COVID-19

There are currently a variety of food programs throughout New York City, Westchester, and Long Island that help provide food to families, including food pantries, grab-and-go meal distributors, and food delivery programs.

Pandemic EBT Benefits

P-EBT are temporary food benefits to help cover the cost of meals children would have otherwise received at school. These benefits are NOT food stamps (SNAP).

To learn how to apply and the benefits of P-EBT:

Immigration Health & Public Charge

The prevention or treatment for COVID-19 will NOT be used against immigrants in a public charge test.

Immigrant families should seek the medical care they need during this difficult time.

Please check here periodically for more updates!

Donate to our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund