The Community Development Project provides legal, technical, research and policy assistance to grassroots community groups engaged in a wide range of organizing and advocacy efforts throughout New York City.

All services are offered free of charge. We encourage you to click here and read about the types of services we offer and the issue areas in which we normally work before contacting us for assistance.

If you work for a grassroots community group and are interested in receiving services from CDP, please call our hotline at (646) 459-3017, or email us at cdp@urbanjustice.org.

CDP's community education efforts include an array of trainings, workshops and forums for NYC grassroots organizations and community members. These activities are designed to increase low-income community members' knowledge of issues that affect them, such as housing law, workers' rights and immigrants' rights, and build crucial skills that enable them to improve their communities and advocate for their rights.

Consumer Debt Legal Clinic

The Community Development Project and attorneys from the law firm, Linklaters LLP provide free legal advice at our monthly Consumer Debt Legal Clinic. The clinics are free and open to the public. Sessions are 20-30 minutes long. Attorneys are available to help New York consumers who are having problems with creditors, such as being harassed by debt collectors, sued in New York City Civil Court, or experiencing the hardship of a frozen bank account or garnished wages as a result of consumer debt judgments.

Attendees should bring all documents related to the legal issue. Drop-ins are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis but appointments are available by calling 212-505-1995. The clinic are from 4 to 6:30 at University Settlement/Project Home located at 189 Allen Street (between Houston and Stanton). The last appointment is at 6 PM. The Clinic Schedule for 2013 are the Third Tuesday of the month (except where noted*):

• January 15th, 2013
• June 18th, 2013
• *February 12th, 2013
• *July 23rd, 2013
• March 19th, 2013
• September 17th, 2013
• April 16th, 2013
• October 15th, 2013
• May 21st, 2013
• *November 12th, 2013

Click here for downloadable clinic schedule.
(Spanish version)

Consumer Debt Fact Sheets

Some of the documents are available in additional languages.

• How to Report Credit Report Errors
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Consumer Debt Cases: The Debt-Buyer Licensing Defense
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Defenses to Credit Card and Cell Phone Claims
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Defenses to Claims for Unpaid Medical Bills
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Frozen Bank Accounts: Your Rights Under the Exempt Income Protection Act (EIPA)
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Filing an Answer in Response to a Summons
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Mistaken Identity and Identity Theft
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Filing an Order to Show Cause to Vacate a Default Judgment
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Placing a Freeze on your Credit File
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Fair Debt Collection Laws
  (Spanish) (Chinese)
• Managing Your Federal Student Loans
• Cancellation and Forgiveness of Federal Student Loans
• Delinquency and Default on Federal Student Loans