City Bar Justice Center and Center for NYC Neighborhoods Announce the Release of a “Best Practices” Guide

CONTACT
Anthony Johnson 
City Bar Justice Center 
anthonyjohnson@nycbar.org 

New York, February 6, 2026 – The City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, and the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and protecting affordable homeownership, are pleased to announce the release of their new best practices guide, Estate Planning for the Preservation of Intergenerational Wealth and Affordable Homeownership. The guide, meant for legal advocates and housing counselors, provides a comprehensive understanding of relevant estate planning and homeownership issues and advises on how to effectively help clients in need of these services.

The guide is part of the City Bar Justice Center’s Intergenerational Asset Preservation Initiative, a collaboration between its Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project and Planning and Estates Law Project. Funding is provided by the New York Bar Foundation and the New York City Council.

“This guide will allow practitioners a deeper understanding of the many moving pieces often at play when evaluating how best to assist a homeowner and protect intergenerational assets. Defending the most vulnerable New Yorkers is a team effort, and we are deeply proud of the collaboration between not just our offices, but even within our own nonprofits’ program areas,” said Libby Vazquez, the Justice Center’s Director of Legal Services.

“The Center is thrilled to have partnered with the City Bar Justice Center to develop this comprehensive estate planning toolkit. Preserving homeownership and intergenerational wealth across New York’s communities is complex and challenging, especially when homeowners are targeted by predatory actors. This guide gives advocates the knowledge, skills, and collaborative strategies that are crucial for preserving household stability today and home assets for tomorrow,” said the Center for NYC Neighborhoods’ CEO and Executive Director, Christie Peale.

To accompany the release of the guide, the City Bar Justice Center and the Center for NYC Neighborhoods will offer a CLE for legal advocates on Wednesday, February 18. The session will be led by Edward Mostoller, Director of the City Bar Justice Center’s Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project, and K. Scott Kohanowski, General Counsel at the Center for NYC Neighborhoods. Registration information is available here.

To learn more about the City Bar Justice Center’s Intergenerational Asset Preservation Initiative, please visit www.citybarjusticecenter.org.

To learn more about the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, visit www.cnycn.org.

About the City Bar Justice Center  

The City Bar Justice Center furthers access to justice by addressing unmet civil legal needs of New Yorkers struggling with poverty and other systemic socioeconomic barriers. The Justice Center’s dozen civil justice projects are led by a staff of dedicated attorneys and support professionals who provide high-quality civil legal services through brief advice and information, referrals, and both limited scope and extended representation that benefit more than 27,000 New Yorkers each year who cannot afford to hire counsel. www.citybarjusticecenter.org 

 

About the Center for NYC Neighborhoods 

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods promotes and protects affordable homeownership in New York City so working- and middle-class families can build strong, thriving communities. We carry out our mission to promote and protect affordable homeownership through the lenses of racial equity and climate change. Established by public and private partners, the Center meets the diverse needs of homeowners throughout New York state by offering free, high-quality housing services. Since our founding in 2008, our network has assisted over 200,000 homeowners and provided more than $60 million in funding to community-based partners. Visit cnycn.org to learn more.