On January 17, 2025, the New York State Bar Association House of Delegates approved the report of its Task Force on Homelessness and the Law.
The Task Force, originally convened in June 2023, was chaired by William T. Russell, Esq. of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, and included attorneys, academics and housing advocates from throughout the state, including WRO’s Deputy Executive Director Andrew Smith. The report examines homelessness in the state from various lenses, including the lack of sufficient affordable housing options, barriers to entry in housing, intersections with health, the criminal justice system and the court system, and the impact on specific populations, including children and families, veterans and rural populations.
With respect to each of those lenses, the report contains specific recommendations for legal and policy change to address the crisis of homelessness in New York State.
