City Bar Urges that Housing Court Judges Be Prioritized to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine

The City Bar urges that Housing Court Judges be prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as it has urged for criminal, immigration and family courts. Housing Court Judges are public servants who have presided over in-person emergency proceedings throughout the pandemic. They face the public every day to adjudicate allegations of illegal lockouts, lack of heat, hot water, gas and other emergency conditions, harassment claims, and claims involving alleged persistent and unreasonable behavior. Housing Court Judges perform a crucial role in maintaining livable conditions for New Yorkers during the health crisis, while simultaneously putting their own health at risk. We echo Chief Judge DiFiore in her January 18 message:  “Failure to include judges in the priority category runs counter” to the Court’s ability and “efforts to maximize the provision of justice services, and to [its] central role in protecting public safety and upholding the rule of law.”