Alfred’s Story

Alfred*, had resided in his apartment for over 12 years. A disabled Veteran, Alfred had sustained a permanent injury as a result of a training exercise during his time in the military and lived with untreated physical and mental health issues that made it difficult to care for himself and his living space.

After several incidents in which Alfred’s landlord alleged that Alfred had violated his lease by causing damage to his apartment and failing to promptly report it to building management, his landlord terminated his tenancy and sought a preliminary injunction seeking his immediate removal from the property.

Facing the imminent loss of his housing, Alfred got in touch with Community Legal Aid. There he was assigned to CLA Staff Attorney Uri Strauss in the organization’s Veterans Unit.

Attorney Strauss met with Alfred and Alfred’s brother Eric to learn more about the situation.

“From speaking with them, I learned that Alfred’s untreated physical and cognitive disabilities played a big role in his housing troubles,” explained Attorney Strauss.

Though Alfred was eligible for healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), his past negative experiences with the healthcare system had left him reluctant to seek medical treatment. In fact, Alfred had not seen a doctor in five years.

Based on Alfred’s disabilities, Attorney Strauss successfully advocated that the landlord withdraw the motion for a preliminary injunction. The landlord also agreed not to go forward with an eviction provided that Alfred got a medical evaluation at the VA, pursued treatment, and had no further incidents of damage to his apartment in the following six months. CLA Case Worker Ashley Stone also helped Alfred identify and apply for emergency funds to cover what he owed for the previous damage.

Like many Veterans let down by the systems that are supposed to serve them, Alfred’s life experiences made it difficult for him to seek the support he needed. However, with the encouragement of his brother, Alfred put his trust in his CLA lawyer, who was able to help Alfred stay in his apartment. Alfred is now beginning to get the appropriate medical treatments for his disabilities.

*A Pseudonym