Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced a new partnership with United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region’s 211 information line to provide eviction prevention services to County residents in jeopardy of losing their current housing with customized information on available eviction prevention funding. County Executive Molinaro highlighted this new Eviction Prevention Line during his 2021 State of the County Address.
Dutchess County residents needing information about resources to help them avert eviction can call 211, or alternatively, 1-800-899-1479; choose to continue in English or Spanish; and press 7 to select the Dutchess Eviction Prevention Line. Specially trained 211 staff ask tenants a series of questions and then provide them with a customized list of programs the tenant appears eligible for based on the information provided. Additionally, staff will also refer tenants to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, as appropriate. There is also an online tool, with which residents can answer the questions and receive a call back from 211 with their customized resources.
County Executive Molinaro said, “A home is more than four walls – it’s a place where dreams are born and a sense of safety is fostered – and we all deserve a safe, stable home in which to grow and prosper. Long before COVID-19 touched our community, Dutchess County had worked to ensure residents in need were able to remain in their homes, and struggles brought on by the pandemic have only strengthened our resolve to create solutions for those facing housing instability. The advent of our Eviction Prevention Line is the County’s next step in our continued efforts to keep residents in their homes and avoid eviction, and we strongly urge residents facing eviction to utilize this important resource.”
Dutchess County currently partners with several community agencies to offer a variety of eviction prevention programs, each with their own basic eligibility requirements; the Eviction Prevention Line is an effort to create a single point of entry for information about these programs.
The Eviction Prevention Line is being funded by the federal Emergency Solutions Grant-Coronavirus (ESG-CV) fund provided to Dutchess County through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The program is a collaboration of Dutchess County’s Departments of Community & Family Services and Planning & Development and United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region.
