How to Get Help to Stop an Eviction in Monroe County New York.
Monroe County and the City of Rochester run a coordinated response to housing crises through Partners Ending Homelessness and a network of local agencies. If you're behind on rent and facing eviction, at risk of losing your home to foreclosure, or have already been displaced, this page covers the specific program types available — emergency financial assistance, free legal defense, and rapid rehousing — and how to reach the right one for your situation.
The fastest entry point is 211 — free, available any time of day, and connected directly to the local referral network. For legal help before an upcoming eviction court date, go directly to the legal aid section below. For shelter access in an emergency, call Monroe County Department of Human Services at (585) 442-1742 after hours, or go in person to 691 St. Paul Street during business hours.
How the County Coordinates Help: The Continuum of Care
Monroe County's homeless prevention and rehousing system is organized through a federally funded structure called a Continuum of Care, or CoC. The local CoC lead agency is Partners Ending Homelessness (PEH), which coordinates funding and connects the nonprofit and government agencies that deliver services on the ground. PEH can be reached at (585) 319-5091 and maintains resources for people in crisis at https://letsendhomelessness.org/.
The primary way to access most programs is a process called Coordinated Entry, managed by Coordinated Care Services, Inc. (CCSI) on behalf of Monroe County and the City of Rochester. When someone presents as homeless or at imminent risk, they're assessed — first through DHS for shelter placement, then through a shared community intake — and matched to the most appropriate available resource. This isn't first-come, first-served: the system prioritizes the people with the greatest barriers to stable housing.
Eviction Prevention: Keeping You in Your Current Home
The primary prevention funding in Monroe County flows through two federal programs — the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and the CoC's homelessness prevention funds. In plain terms, these are grants that can cover overdue rent, utility arrears, or a security deposit to prevent a household from losing its current housing. The money goes to the landlord or utility directly, not to the tenant. In addition to the options on this page, see the rent assistance program page for Monroe County.
To qualify, you typically need to show that your housing crisis is temporary — that you can cover future costs once the immediate crisis is resolved — and that you haven't received prevention assistance recently. A landlord must agree to accept payment and halt the eviction. These conditions are the same as what most local CoC prevention programs require. Financial help comes with case management: a caseworker works with you on budgeting, employment, and other steps toward stability. Call 211 or contact Partners Ending Homelessness to be connected to a current provider.
Free Legal Defense Against Eviction
Two major legal aid organizations serve low-income tenants facing eviction in Monroe County.
The Legal Aid Society of Rochester (LAS) (website: https://www.lasroc.org/) provides direct representation to tenants in Rochester City Court. If you've been served papers for an eviction proceeding, LAS attorneys can review your case and, in many situations, appear in court on your behalf. Call them at (585) 232-4090 before your court date if at all possible. Walk-in representation may also be available in court, but calling ahead gives you a better position.
LawNY — Legal Assistance of Western New York operates the Monroe County office, also known as the Monroe County Legal Assistance Center, and handles a broad range of housing matters including evictions, housing discrimination, and public benefits. Their Rochester office is at (585) 325-2520. Both LAS and LawNY are located at the Telesca Center for Justice at 1 West Main Street in downtown Rochester.
For homeowners facing foreclosure rather than eviction, The Housing Council at PathStone provides free, confidential foreclosure counseling and communicates directly with mortgage servicers on behalf of struggling homeowners. Their Housing Hotline is (585) 546-3700. Empire Justice Center, also based in Rochester, offers legal representation in foreclosure proceedings and administers the state's Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) across the region.
Rapid Rehousing: After Losing Housing
When eviction prevention isn't possible, rapid rehousing may be able to get you into stable housing as quickly as possible — rather than leaving them in emergency shelter indefinitely. Rapid rehousing in Monroe County provides short-term rental subsidies and case management to help a displaced person or family secure and sustain a new unit.
Access to rapid rehousing runs through the same Coordinated Entry system described above, starting with DHS. Once assessed and sheltered, a household is placed on a prioritization list for available housing resources. CCSI also operates Front Door NY, a platform that connects housing providers and case managers with landlords willing to rent to people coming out of homelessness — an effort to expand the pool of available units. Call 211 or contact CCSI through the Partners Ending Homelessness website to start the process.
Who Runs the System
Partners Ending Homelessness (PEH) is the official CoC for Rochester/Monroe County — it's the governance and funding structure, not a place you walk into. PEH coordinates more than 50 agencies across the county, including the Homeless Services Network (HSN), which facilitates collaboration between providers. If you're a resident in crisis, the right entry point is 211, the DHS line, or one of the legal aid organizations above. If you're a provider or want to understand how the system is structured, start at https://letsendhomelessness.org/.
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