On June 30, 2006, the New York City Council approved a $53 billion dollar budget that included nearly $5 million in funding for Legal Services for New York City (LSNY). The funding will be divided among these vital LSNY programs:

• $1,588,000 for the City Council Low-Income Legal Services Program that provides services to the most vulnerable New Yorkers in all five boroughs: senior citizens, survivors of domestic violence, disabled and chronically ill children and adults, unemployed workers, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and imminently homeless children and adults;
• $1 million for the Housing Preservation & Development Anti-Eviction Program to provide legal assistance to low- and moderate-income families faced with illegal evictions and substandard housing conditions;
• $357,500 to help low-income New Yorkers apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit;
• $500,000 for the Keeping Families Together Program, a holistic approach to keeping families together to avoid or shorten foster care and group home placements; and
• $1,250,000 for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Unemployment Insurance (UI) Advocacy Program to represent individuals, families and children who have been denied SSI or UI benefits.

The budget also includes a $250,000 grant for a new city-wide hotline. The grant would fund required servers, software, and consulting services to provide the hotline functionality for LSNY staff and volunteers city-wide.