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My sister, 68 yo, was just evicted form her apartment in Westchester County for failure to pay rent. She lied about how dire her situation was. She is very obese and suffers with knee issues. She cannot walk. Also she is completely incontinent. I am unable to care for her. My house is not equipped to house a physically disabled person. Also I am already the care giver to my two young adult Autistic daughters. I need to find a place for her to go ASAP! She had to sleep in my car last night because she is too disabled and heavy to get up the stairs into the house. Any advice could help. Thanks!

From the New Rochelle Website:

"The Westchester County Office of Housing Counsel (OHC) is officially open for business to ensure that financially eligible tenants have access to resources and legal representation at no cost to themselves in eviction and related proceedings.
The innovative program is the first of its kind for a county and will help stabilize communities and address housing insecurity. In addition to providing free legal services, the OHC will coordinate access to pre-eviction support and counseling programs under one roof.

The opening of the program was announced at a press event on Thursday in White Plains.

Residents who are facing eviction, having trouble paying their rent, in a rent dispute with a landlord, facing a loss of essential services like heat and hot water, or are facing other problems, can reach out to the OHC to be connected to legal representation, counseling, financial assistance and other programs, provided through one of nine service providers that the County has contracted with.

Residents can call 2-1-1, where specialists at United Way 211 Helpline of the Hudson Valley will be available 24-hours a day, 365-days a year, to assess callers' needs and connect them with appropriate providers. Alternatively, residents can reach out online by completing the OHC intake form at http://housingcounsel.westchestergov.com, which OHC staff will review before connecting them with relevant services.

Under Westchester's Housing Counsel Law, tenants are entitled to free legal representation in eviction and related proceedings if their gross household income is 300% of the federal poverty level for a household of their size, or 60% of the County's average median income for a household of their size. That means a family of three with a gross annual household income of $91,800 -- $1,765 a week -- would be eligible for legal representation.

The Office of Housing Counsel does not directly provide representation. It functions as a clearinghouse to connect residents with one of the following contracted legal service providers: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Human Development Services of Westchester, Hudson Valley Justice Center and the Law Office of Tracy Forrest, Esq.

To fulfill the advocacy, counseling and financial assistance portion of the office’s mission, OHC has contracted with the following service providers: Community Housing Innovations, Community Resource Center, CLUSTER, Westchester Residential Opportunities, Mount Vernon United Tenants and Human Development Services of Westchester."
Helpful Answer (3)
Reply to notgoodenough
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The only help I see her getting, with no money, is Longterm care with Medicaid paying.

Is she actually out of the apartment or just received notice. IMO, if not actually out of the apartment maybe she should refuse to go. Then APS could be called in to help her. If already out, call APS. Tell them that you cannot care for her and let the State take over her care.

To be honest, she would be better off in LTC. A man I have known since childhood, lost almost 200lbs being in LTC. He was given PT everyday and got where he was walking with a walker and then on his own.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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lealonnie1 Jun 18, 2026
New York has THE best social services imaginable.
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If you google "Westchester County Emergency Housing" there is information and phone numbers for county and state assistance programs, everything from housing to assistance in job placement.
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Reply to notgoodenough
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You need to connect her with a social worker. She needs a legal guardian and it really can't be you -- you already have your hands full. Calling APS and reporting her as a vulnerable adult who has profound health and mobility problems (and maybe cognitive) and now homeless makes this an emergency, but not sure she is suited for the ER... but you can try that route. If you do make sure they know she is homeless, that you are not and cannot be her caregiver and that she is an unsafe discharge. Do not go get her no matter what they threaten you with. They can't force you to be her caregiver or take her into your home, which is not her legal residence.
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Reply to Geaton777
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So sorry you are dealing with this. Probably you already have found this out but you can call your city’s non-emergency police dispatch number to request that the fire department come to help get your sister into the house.

But otherwise I am with Sandra. Call an ambulance on some pretext (she sounds very unhealthy so she must have symptoms of some kind) and get her to the ER. Then refuse to take her back.

Please update us when you have a chance. We learn from each other.
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Reply to SnoopyLove
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She should probably go to ER in an ambulance. Maybe they can help with placement in an appropriate facility,
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Reply to Sandra2424
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Sandra2424 Jun 18, 2026
The reason I suggested this action is due to the urgency of the situation and her vulnerable medical status. There may be a wait time if they contact social services, or other agencies. She is a very vulnerable adult. I really think it is the right thing to do. It can be sorted out later with the medical evaluation and social services at the hospital.
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