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Housing Needs: A Legal Advocacy Perspective

Housing Needs: A Legal Advocacy Perspective . Presentation to IOC Committee HIV Planning Council January 4, 2012 Tracy L. Welsh, Esq. Executive Director. HIV Law Project. Legal & advocacy organization for PLWHAs

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Housing Needs: A Legal Advocacy Perspective

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  1. Housing Needs: A Legal Advocacy Perspective Presentation to IOC Committee HIV Planning Council January 4, 2012 Tracy L. Welsh, Esq. Executive Director www.hivlawproject.org

  2. HIV Law Project • Legal & advocacy organization for PLWHAs • Handled over 22,000 individual cases as well as several class-action lawsuits • We have handled thousands of housing and eviction cases • We handle about 1,000 cases each year • Roughly 500 new cases opened annually • In 2011, we received roughly 300 calls about housing-related problems through our housing hotline, and opened 99 cases www.hivlawproject.org

  3. Our Housing Services • Eviction prevention • Supported by benefits advocacy • Connection to longer-term social support services • We do NOT: • Provide housing • Locate housing • Pay rental arrears or issue housing grants www.hivlawproject.org

  4. Our Housing Objectives • Preserve stable housing through eviction prevention, arrears advocacy & income maintenance • Expand eligibility for housing options for undocumented clients • Improve health and safety of clients’ housing • Connect clients to housing service providers if need emergency housing, housing placement, rental assistance, etc. www.hivlawproject.org

  5. Housing Stability FY 11 • All clients assessed at intake for housing stability • 487 new cases, about 10% or 48 clients identified as living in SRO, shelter or with friends • Of those 48, only 5 presented with housing as their primary legal issue • We opened 99 new housing cases • Thus 142 clients, or nearly 30% of our cases involve clients who are either homeless, marginally housed or at-risk for homelessness www.hivlawproject.org

  6. Common Eviction Case • Non-payment of rent • Holdovers – including chronic non-payment, hoarding, nuisance www.hivlawproject.org

  7. Some Specific Recommendations • Advocate for broader interpretation of eligible legal services under RW • Eviction and immigration • Create more Ryan White funded housing programs • Mentally ill, substance users, MICA www.hivlawproject.org

  8. Some SpecificRecommendations • Enhance RW rental assistance funds for those not HASA-eligible • Include start-up funds, rental arrears and on-going rental assistance • Avoid time limits • Create or enhance resources for financial management services • Mentally ill, substance users, MICA www.hivlawproject.org

  9. Other Possible Solutions • Advocate for HOPWA to fund eviction prevention efforts • Enhance resources for active housing placement assistance (not just info. and referral), consider allocating funds for start up costs • Fund housing “education” services under RW, which would allow clients to obtain legal information about their housing rights www.hivlawproject.org

  10. Other Possible Solutions • Create independent education/ mediation program for clients’ facing eviction from publicly supported housing models • Scattered-Site Programs • SROs www.hivlawproject.org

  11. Contact Information Tracy L. Welsh, Esq. Executive Director HIV Law Project twelsh@hivlawproject.org 212-577-3001 www.hivlawproject.org

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