GOLES provides services to help those in our community keep their homes, understand their housing rights, and achieve job-readiness. GOLES also offers assistance to seniors struggling with the challenges of living on the Lower East Side. For assistance or the schedule an appointment, contact our Direct Services office at 212-533-2541.
Tenant Rights and Eviction Prevention Counseling: GOLES provides crucial housing counseling to tenants who live in rent regulated apartments, Public Housing, and Section 8. Services including legal counseling, assistance with government benefits, and advocacy on behalf of tenants. Through this work, we save more than 2000 families from eviction each year. Tenant Association Assistance: GOLES works with tenants in organizing and strengthening tenant associations. By working together, tenant associations are able to fight for quality repairs, stop landlord harassment, and protect low-income tenants from being displaced. The Lower East Side Tenant Union represents the community residents living in rent-regulated Public Housing and project-based Section 8 buildings. We’re working together in the Tenant Union to protect affordable housing and the diversity of the Lower East Side. Read more about our commitment to fighting to save homes collectively.
Workforce Development: GOLES offers one-on-one job readiness assistance, job skills training, and supportive services that reach Lower East Side unemployed and underemployed community members with diverse needs in retail and customer service industries and other areas. GOLES provides the following workforce development services:
- Resume and cover letter writing
- Mock interviews prep
- Job searches and referrals
- Specialized job sector training
- Workers’ rights training
- Career development assistance
- Unemployment benefit application assistance
To schedule an appointment with our Job readiness counselor, contact Yanni Deconescu at yanni@goles.org or call 212-533-2541.
GOLES Healthy Aging Program (GHAP) is a preventative healthcare initiative for seniors that combines direct service with community engagement and leadership development. GHAP addresses the immediate health and social service needs of economically disadvantaged Lower East Side residents, age 50 and above, including physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. GHAP offers:
1) Counseling and Direct Service for:
Housing and related issues;
Assistance with benefits and entitlements including applications for health, housing and financial support including SCRIE, SSI, IRS forms NYC210 and IT214, income certification for public housing/Section 8, and more.
2) Health Services Information and Referrals including:
Information on preventative health services available within the community;
Advocacy and support for seniors who are negotiating the health care system;
Access to preventative health services including screenings (such as mammograms and colonoscopies) and immunization (such as flu shots).
3) Healthy Aging Community Workshop Series includes:
Health Education: physical activity, healthy eating, weight management, sodium intake, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, pain management.
Housing Rights: repairs and maintenance issues, eviction prevention, landlord harassment, and public housing transfers.
Consumer rights: identity theft, medical debt, credit repair and disputes.
4) Community Engagement:
GOLES engages seniors in seniors-only and intergenerational activities that promote community stewardship and leadership development. These include:
Cultural Programs just for seniors;
The Green Seniors Corps—intergenerational programming to create and maintain Lower East Side community gardens;
The GHAP Steering Committee which develops all GHAP programs, workshops, and campaigns.
To schedule an appointment with a Senior Services Counselor, please contact Maisha Morales at maisha@goles.org or call 212-533-2541.