LibGuides: NY Housing Resources: Home

BPL Social Supports

Schedule an Appointment with the Social Work Program Coordinator

Social work support and referrals are available for:

Housing Assistance
Food Assistance
Employment Assistance
Health Insurance Assistance
Mental Health/Counseling Referral

bklynlibrary.org/outreach/community-health

Brooklyn Public Library

Library homepage

BPL Catalog

Contact the Library!

Connect with a Brooklyn Public Librarian via chat, email or phone!

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Email your question.
Meet with a librarian in person or online
Call 718.YOUR.BPL or 718.968.7275

Hotlines

A compilation of the crisis intervention and information hotlines that appear in the different parts of this guide.

To get help for a person who is without shelter call 311 and request Homeless Assistance or fill out this form. The Department of Homeless Services will send a mobile outreach response team within an hour to encourage the person to accept services.

If you are experiencing homelessness and are seeking shelter, see our Emergency Housing page.

Coalition for the Homeless
Crisis Intervention hotline at 1-888-358-2384 Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm. Extensive information on supportive housing and programs assisting individuals and families existing the shelter system to obtain housing.
DHS Office of the Ombudsman
Call 311 and ask for the Office of the Ombusman or call 800-994-6494 directly to report any problem with a NYC Department of Homeless Services shelter.
Legal Aid Society Homeless Rights Project
Homeless Rights Helpline at 800-649-9125, Monday-Friday, 10 am-3 pm.
Housing Justice Unit-Group Advocacy helpline at 212-577-7988, Monday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm.
NYC Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 800-621-4673 for help finding confidential shelter in domestic violence situations.
Why Hunger
Call 1-800-548-6479 or text your zip code to locate a local emergency food provider and other support services.
Housing Court Answers
Call 212-962-4795, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm for help on any legal issue related to tenant rights.
Met Council on Housing
Call 212-979-0611 Mondays 1:30-8pm; Tuesdays 5:30-8pm; Wednesdays 1:30-8pm; Fridays 1:30-5pm for brief answers to questions on your rights as a tenant and for referrals to agencies, community organizing groups, and tenant lawers on landlord negliegence, evictions, foreclosures, leases and lease renewals, and rent increases.
Legal Assistance Hotline
Call 917-661-4500 Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-4 pm to get assistance in any language from Legal Services NYC on housing and tenant rights.

Books

Databases (available only on-site at Central Library)

New York Apartment Law Insider This link opens in a new window
Provides information for owners and managers of residential real estate, covering topics like rent stabilization, rent control, building maintenance requirements, and correction of code violations. (This resource is accessible via username and password at the Central Library. See a librarian.)
New York Landlord v Tenant Online This link opens in a new window
Provides landlord-tenant court decisions as far back as 1993, including cases from the NYC Civil Court, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), and NYC Environmental Control Board. (This resource is accessible via username and password at the Central Library. See a librarian.)
PropertyShark (New York City Only) This link opens in a new window
This site combines proprietary data with public data. View the comprehensive listing of a given property including its sale history, ownership information, zoning etc. Foreclosure listings and comparable sales along with phone numbers and maps are also available. (This resource is accessible via username and password at the Central Library. See a librarian.)