Housing Law
Representation in housing matters to ensure that
individuals and families are able to obtain and maintain safe, suitable housing. For
specific examples of how we have assisted clients in this area
.
The goals of this representation include:
- To increase the amount of rental housing available to low
income individuals and families in our service area.
- To maintain and improve the quality of rental housing
available in our service area.
- To increase the level of self-sufficiency of individual
tenants and tenant groups residing in public housing.
- To increase the opportunities for low income families to
own their own homes.
A 78-year-old client, suffering from a heart condition and
ambulatory problems, came to our office with a tax sale notice in his hand. The property
he had built himself on an acre of land was going to be sold at auction if he could not
provide payment for his back taxes. Our client had cared for and lived with his mentally
challenged son who recently had been moved to a personal care home. The son's income
helped our client with his utility and maintenance bills and this was no longer available
to him. He was existing solely on his social security check, but desperately wanted to
remain in the home where he had lived for over forty years.
It became obvious that our client owed several creditors
money and had a lien against him for $500.00. His decision was to file a Chapter 13
Bankruptcy. The tax collector for the township worked with our office to help our client
file for back exemptions so his past due amount was lowered and the trustee at the
confirmation agreed to the arrangements we made with the tax collection department and the
plan was confirmed. Our client is making each monthly payment on time and was able to
retain his home.
A woman came to our office seeking assistance in the
denial of her application for public housing. She had no established credit history or
landlord references. This client applied for public housing because the home in which she
had lived all her life was to be sold within six months as provided in her father’s
will. The client was 43 years old, suffered from ovarian cancer, and cared for her
disabled parents for over ten years until their recent death. All household expenses were
in her father’s name and the client never obtained a credit card.
Our office represented the client at a hearing before the
executive director of the housing authority, who issued a decision approving the
client’s application for public housing. The recent loss of her parents and the loss
of her home was traumatic for the client and our office was able to help this client
through the hearing process. She gained decent and affordable housing for herself
before she was faced with the expiration of the 6-month proviso in her father’s will.
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