June 8, 2020

CLA Providing Free Legal Assistance to Low-Income Families and Elders Struggling with Unemployment Claims, Housing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Thomas Navin, Development Director
Phone: (413) 727-7115
Email: tnavin@cla-ma.org

Community Legal Aid, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts, is working hard to assist those struggling due to the COVID-19 crisis. Community Legal Aid has a team of lawyers and volunteers who are ready to help low-wage workers and others with a broad spectrum of issues related to the COVID-19 emergency.

Community Legal Aid has expanded the work of its benefits unit to respond to particular needs of low-income workers during the COVID-19 crisis. Community Legal Aid’s free assistance is available to workers who have lost their jobs, had hours reduced, or are temporarily out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or who have questions regarding their return to work as the state allows the gradual reopening of businesses. Also, as nearly 1 million Massachusetts residents are seeking to file jobless claims during the coronavirus pandemic, many workers have had difficulty with the filing process. Community Legal Aid is providing help to both English- and Spanish-speaking workers who need assistance filing an Unemployment Insurance claim online.

Community Legal Aid has also quickly adapted its work on behalf of tenants facing evictions or emergency housing issues in Western Massachusetts. Community Legal Aid staff attorneys and volunteers are assisting tenants in telephonic or virtual hearings with the Housing Court in emergency cases. Jennifer Dieringer, one of the non-profit’s managing attorneys, stated, “Our housing unit is glad to be able to work cooperatively with the Western Division of the Housing Court to pivot from in-person to virtual assistance and representation that provides continued support for tenants to keep their housing stable during the pandemic.” Despite a statewide moratorium on evictions, low-income and elderly tenants are still at risk of eviction in certain situations, lock-outs, utility shut-offs, or other emergency issues.

Community Legal Aid has also responded to specific COVID-related issues that have arisen at some public housing authorities.  Early in the quarantine period, the organization received a call from an elderly public housing tenant who was very distressed because the doors to the community laundry room had been locked and she received a notice indicating she would have to make other arrangements to do laundry. Community Legal Aid contacted the housing authority’s counsel and requested that the policy be rescinded, citing state guidance that recommended that housing authorities keep their laundry facilities accessible and emphasized the risk, expense, and inconvenience to elderly tenants of taking unnecessary trips to the public laundromat. The housing authority responded by instituting safety precautions and reopening the laundry facilities for all residents.

Anyone wishing to apply for services is welcome to call Community Legal Aid’s intake line at: 855-CLA-LEGAL (855-252-5342) or apply online at: https://communitylegal.org/get-help.

About Community Legal Aid:

Community Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to the low-income and elderly residents of the five counties of Central and Western Massachusetts (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester), and maintains full-time offices in Worcester, Fitchburg, Springfield, Northampton, and Pittsfield. Community Legal Aid works to assure fairness for all in the justice system, protecting homes, livelihoods, health and families. Our client communities continue to need our services and we are committed to meeting those needs. For more information on Community Legal Aid please visit www.communitylegal.org