Housing is a human right. What if we designed our systems—beginning with Housing Court—to embody that? Given the current eviction crisis, it's a far-off concept, but there's work to make it a reality in pockets across the country. In this special episode of New Thinking, hear a profile of one of those efforts in Brooklyn, led by our Red Hook Community Justice Center.
Housing is a human right and the foundation for strong communities. Access to a safe and affordable home creates economic and community stability. This fact sheet highlights the challenges and how our staff are working to prevent evictions, help landlords address health hazards, and increase tenant financial and legal empowerment. By addressing issues early, we keep people safely housed and avoid legal system involvement that can affect employment, family security, and future access to stable housing.
While eviction is a universally stressful event, people with mental health conditions can face unique obstacles with housing retention for reasons related specifically to their disability. This guide provides a review of housing settings and specific risks of eviction for individuals with mental illness before focusing on housing court and the challenges these individuals and court personnel face therein and identifies junctures at which supportive, problem-solving interventions can ensure the necessary community supports and legal representation.
Honoring Judge Alex Calabrese as a "fierce advocate for justice," John Jay College of Criminal Justice awarded the presiding judge of our Red Hook Community Justice Center an honorary degree alongside the class of 2019. Featured at the May commencement, this short film highlights Calabrese's transformational leadership in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and how an emphasis on healing can advance a more humane and effective justice system.
This report provides the results of a regular community survey intended to give voice to the concerns of the people who live and work in the Red Hook neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn, the home of our Red Hook Community Justice Center. This 2016 survey measured citizen perceptions of neighborhood quality of life, public safety, and satisfaction with local criminal justice agencies.
The Red Hook Community Justice Center works to strengthen Red Hook, Brooklyn, and surrounding areas by reducing crime and the use of incarceration,
improving public trust in justice, and collaborating with the community to solve local problems.
The Red Hook Community Justice Center serves as a hub for an array of unconventional programs. This video highlights the unique and multi-faceted roles that the Justice Center plays in the lives of its community members. The common thread is that the Justice Center is changing lives every day.
Errol Louis, journalist at NY1 News and host of Inside City Hall, responds to the question: How has Red Hook changed as a neighborhood since the launch of the Red Hook Community Justice Center?
The late Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson discusses the importance of restoring public trust and confidence in the justice system in his remarks at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Red Hook Community Justice Center.
The Red Hook Community Justice Center has become an international model of justice reform by implementing innovative strategies that have reduced the use of jail, lowered recidivism and strengthened public confidence in justice.
