Legal Services NYC Applauds New York Legislature for Passing Bill Making Homeowner Protection Program Permanent, Urges Gov. Hochul to Sign into Law

The New York State Legislature approved measures to secure New York’s foreclosure prevention and anti-deed theft program which helps thousands of distressed New York homeowners stay in their homes each year.

New York, NY – Legal Services NYC applauds the New York State Legislature for passing legislation that would make the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) a permanent part of state law, providing long-term stability for New York’s only statewide network of free legal services and housing counseling for homeowners facing foreclosure, deed theft, mortgage fraud, and other housing scams. 

Yesterday, the State Assembly passed A.1625-A, sponsored by Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, following Senate passage of S.2627-A, sponsored by Senator Brian Kavanagh, earlier this year. The legislation would codify HOPP in state law, ending years of uncertainty surrounding the program’s future and ensuring it remains a cornerstone of New York’s homeowner protection framework. The bill now awaits Governor Hochul’s signature. 

Below is a statement from Jacob Inwald, Director of Litigation–Economic Justice at Legal Services NYC, a technical assistance sub-contractor to the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, the Attorney General’s Anchor Partner which administers the HOPP program in NYC.

“As foreclosure filings rise across New York and deed theft complaints to the Attorney General’s Office have more than tripled in recent years, the Homeowner Protection Program has never been more important.

“For decades, communities of color were denied opportunities to build wealth through homeownership and were later targeted with predatory mortgage products that fueled disproportionate rates of foreclosure and displacement. Today, many of those same communities face renewed threats from foreclosure, deed theft, and scams designed to strip families of their homes and hard-earned equity.

“HOPP is New York’s first line of defense. Each year, the program helps more than 20,000 homeowners seek redress for deed thefts, partition and loan-modification scams, defend against foreclosure, and secure home-saving solutions that preserve homeownership, protect generational wealth, and stabilize neighborhoods. By providing free legal services and housing counseling, HOPP ensures homeowners have a trusted place to turn before a crisis becomes a catastrophe. 

“We applaud Senator Kavanagh, Assemblymember Solages, and the many champions in the Legislature who recognized the program’s proven success and acted to make it permanent. 

“As New Yorkers face growing housing insecurity and increasingly sophisticated scams, ensuring that HOPP is codified amongst New York’s other homeowner protections ensures that vulnerable homeowners have access to trusted free services, so that they are not left with only the scammers knocking on their doors. By signing this legislation into law, Governor Hochul can reaffirm New York’s commitment to protecting homeowners, preserving generational wealth, and preventing deed theft before families lose the homes they worked a lifetime to build.” 

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About the Homeowner Protection Program
The New York State Attorney General’s Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) is a network of more than 90 housing counseling and legal services organizations across the state that provide free help to homeowners. HOPP provides high-quality counseling and legal services devoted to homeownership preservation in every county of  New York State. https://homeownerhelpny.org/ 

About Legal Services NYC
Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, LSNYC has challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. Our staff of dedicated advocates have deep roots in the communities we serve so New Yorkers and their families can access the services, resources, and protections they need to survive. www.legalservicesnyc.org