named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Family Law Counsel
Provides legal assistance to immigrant parents in custody, visitation, and child support matters, with a focus on limited English proficiency clients.
Housing Unit
Represents tenants in eviction proceedings and handles cases involving illegal lockouts, rent increases, habitability issues, housing discrimination, and utility shut-offs across multiple counties.
Immigration & Citizenship Assistance
Offers consultations and legal representation for pathways to citizenship, including family petitions, special immigrant status, U-visas, VAWA, and asylum.
Victim Advocacy Project
Provides support to victims of crime, including help with victim compensation applications, translation services, legal information, court accompaniment, and referrals to housing, counseling, and public benefits.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advocates for policy changes and legislative reformEngages in advocacy to influence legislative and policy changes that improve access to justice and benefit vulnerable residents in the Hudson Valley, including systemic reform through class action and impact litigation.
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Facility-Based Service Delivery 1 activity
- Operates legal service offices in multiple Hudson Valley countiesMaintains physical legal services offices in Westchester County (White Plains and Yonkers), Orange County (Newburgh), and Dutchess County (Poughkeepsie), providing accessible locations for clients to receive counsel and services.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Provides free civil legal counsel to low-income individuals and non-citizensOffers free legal consultations, advice, brief services, and full representation in civil legal matters, prioritizing cases involving basic human needs and serving clients regardless of immigration status. The organization handled over 1,476 cases in 2025, benefiting 3,846 individuals across the Hudson Valley.
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Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 1 activity
- Provides legal representation in housing and eviction casesProvides legal representation to individual tenants and tenant groups in eviction and housing-related legal matters, including being the only organization offering such services to non-citizens in eviction proceedings across six Hudson Valley counties. Also provides a rental increase calculator for jurisdictions under the Good Cause Eviction law.
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Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
- Provides legal services in family, immigration, and public benefits lawDelivers legal assistance in custody, visitation, child support, immigration pathways, consumer protection, income maintenance, public benefits, and employment law, with a focus on non-citizens and limited English proficient individuals.
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Domestic Violence Survivor Support Services 1 activity
- Supports crime victims through legal advocacy and servicesAssists crime victims with applications for compensation, provides legal information about their rights and the criminal justice process, advocates on their behalf with employers, creditors, and landlords, and offers accompaniment during family court proceedings. Also drafts affidavits and applications for U-Visa and VAWA applicants under attorney supervision.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$5.14M
Contributions & grants$5.14M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3470%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$5.04M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$4.16M
Grants paid out$269K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.07M
Cash$53K
Investments$0
Liabilities$644K
Net assets$426K
Liquid reserves0.1 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +18.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 5
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JASON MAYS | EXECUTIVE D | 35 | $199K |
| CYNTHIA TEJEDA | DEPUTY EXECU | 35 | $187K |
| CHRISTINE LECCE | ATTORNEY | 35 | $169K |
| GEORGE HADDAD | LITIGATION D | 35 | $147K |
| BEN SURFACE | ATTORNEY | 35 | $127K |
board members · 6
- CHARLIE BIENER RESIGNED 102025 — TRUSTEE
- CHRISTOPHER CABANILLAS — TRUSTEE
- ELYSE DIAMOND — SECRETARY
- ERIC GORDON — PRESIDENT
- LORRAINE LOPEZ — TRUSTEE
- LUCILLE OPPENHEIM — TREASURER
relationships · 3
Who they work with
- National Domestic Violence 24 Hour Hotline Partner — Refers victims to the national domestic violence hotline for immediate crisis support.
- New York State Domestic Violence 24 Hour Hotline Partner — Refers victims to the state domestic violence hotline for immediate crisis support.
- The City Partner — Collaborated with The City, whose article and calculator inspired the development of HVJC's Good Cause Eviction rental increase calculator.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Legal Servicesmethodology: culturally_and_linguistically_responsive_servicesBy adapting services for undocumented immigrants with limited English proficiency, the organization increases access and effectiveness, because culturally and linguistically responsive care ensures meaningful participation and trust in legal processes.
- Impact Litigation for Systemic Changemethodology: impact_litigationBy pursuing individual, class action, and impact litigation, the organization expands access to justice and addresses systemic inequities, because strategic legal cases can set precedents that protect vulnerable populations beyond individual clients.
- Legal Empowerment in Family Lawmethodology: legal_empowermentBy supporting immigrant parents in exercising their legal rights in family law matters, the organization empowers them to care for their children and build stable futures, because legal agency in personal and family matters strengthens long-term resilience and integration.
- Legal Representation as a Tool to Prevent Homelessnessmethodology: legal-representation-as-housing-protectionBy treating legal representation as essential to housing stability, the organization prevents homelessness, because legal intervention in housing matters protects tenants’ rights and preserves access to safe, stable homes.
- Universal Access to Legal Services Regardless of Immigration Statusmethodology: universal-access-to-legal-servicesBy providing free legal counsel without regard to immigration status, the organization ensures equitable access to justice, because inclusive eligibility policies reduce barriers for the most marginalized and uphold the principle that legal protection should not depend on status.