Eugene Chen

  • Hosted by New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
  • Sponsored by The Paul Rapoport Foundation
  • Service location New York, New York
  • Law school City University of New York School of Law
  • Issue area Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Housing/Homelessness, LGBTQ+ Rights
  • Fellowship class year 2014
  • Program Design-Your-Own Fellowship

The Project

Eugene provided legal advocacy, outreach, and education to low-income LGBTQ people in New York City’s communities of color who were at risk of eviction or experiencing housing discrimination due to their sexual orientation and gender identity.

LGBTQ people of color, particularly those who are transgender, gender non-conforming, or affected by HIV/AIDS, face greater rates of poverty and homelessness due to persistent discrimination in housing and employment based on their race and LGBTQ identities. For the most vulnerable in the LGBTQ community, attaining housing security is an important step toward ending the cycle of poverty and homelessness. In recent years, the rapid pace of gentrification in New York City’s communities of color has jeopardized fair access to affordable housing, thereby displacing low-income communities of color. Through legal services, outreach, and education, Eugene has prevented displacement and addressed discrimination experienced by some of New York City’s low-income LGBTQ population in communities of color.

Fellowship Highlights

In the past two years, Eugene has:

  • Provided legal services, ranging from advice to representation, in over 360 cases involving housing or other legal issues
  • Saved clients from eviction, including one client who was able to keep his affordable rent-controlled apartment after 18 months of intense litigation
  • Won a dismissal of a case against a client, creating a gloss on housing law which was published in the NY Law Journal
  • Brought media attention to the hardships LGBTQ people face in housing
  • Contributed LGBTQ perspectives to testimony on proposed laws to increase testing for systemic housing discrimination and improve procedures for survivors of intimate partner violence interacting with the New York City Housing Authority
  • Facilitated Know Your Rights Discussions at New York City community-based organizations
  • Advocated for LGBTQ people experiencing chronic homelessness

Where are they now?

Now that the Fellowship is complete, Eugene plans to:

  • Affirmatively litigate against unscrupulous landlords to keep New Yorkers in stable, affordable housing in the Bronx with Legal Services NYC
  • Continue fighting to end systemic discrimination against LGBTQ communities
  • Continue working with the LGBTQ community towards equity

Meet Other Fellows Like Eugene

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Margaret Burgess

Host: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.

Sponsor: Cox Enterprises, Eversheds Sutherland

Jason Bailey

Host: Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law

Sponsor: Norflet Progress Fund

Tiara Brown

Host: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid

Sponsor: Stinson Leonard Street LLP, The Family of Hyman Edelman

Jalise Burt

Host: New York Civil Liberties Union

Sponsor: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP