Queens Housing Court‘s Virtual Intake System Faces Criticism for Creating Delays and Barriers to Access
Queens, NY – December 2, 2025 – A recent transition to a virtual intake system in queens Housing Court is causing delays, confusion, and hindering tenants’ access to legal portrayal, according to attorneys with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). The changes, implemented without prior consultation with legal aid providers, are impacting both attorneys’ ability to prepare cases and tenants’ understanding of their legal standing.
Attorneys at NYLAG’s Tenants’ Rights Unit report receiving significantly less notice before new client assignments under the virtual system. “It is the norm now for us to get cases three days before the next appearance,” stated Adina Weisberg, a senior supervising attorney with NYLAG’s Tenants’ Rights Unit, to the Queens Daily Eagle. This compressed timeframe often forces attorneys to spend valuable time locating clients to gather essential data previously obtained immediately.
The shift is also causing anxiety among tenants, with many appearing in court without having spoken to their assigned counsel. Dana Christensen, another senior supervising attorney at NYLAG’s Tenants’ Rights Unit, explained that the virtual intake process has added steps and increased workload for legal aid providers, ultimately reducing time available for case planning.
“Right to Counsel [is based on] the idea that everyone deserves the right to representation,” Christensen said. “And if you’re not allowing your attorney to meaningfully meet with you and meaningfully prep for these cases, then we’re just back to being in an eviction mill. We’re back to being bill collectors and not actually helping our clients enforce their rights.”
NYLAG’s Director of the tenants’ Rights Unit, Johnathan Fox, has observed a decrease in the number of clients with limited English proficiency since the system’s implementation. He attributes this to the added bureaucratic hurdles, including requirements like scanning QR codes, which create new barriers for tenants seeking legal assistance.
Fox also emphasized the lack of consultation with legal aid providers prior to the change. “It upended everything,” he told the Queens daily Eagle. “we have to chase [clients] down and naturally people slip through the cracks.”
The concerns raised by NYLAG highlight potential challenges to the effectiveness of the Right to Counsel initiative in Queens Housing Court, as the new system appears to be creating obstacles to meaningful representation for vulnerable tenants.
