Author: pricelessmisc

Author: pricelessmisc

DURHAM · Jan. 23, 2019 – Our Durham office celebrated its 50th anniversary at an event it hosted on December 19, 2018. Community members and Legal Aid staff gathered to celebrate. Remarks were made by Managing Attorney Gina Reyman, County Commission Chair Wendy Jacobs, N.C. Rep. Marcia Morey, District Court Judge Amanda Maris, District Attorney Satana Deberry, Mayor Pro Tempore Jillian Johnson, and Mayor Steve Schewel.

Highlights of the event included Mayor Schewel’s closing remarks, “I am real excited that we as a city are funding attorneys for the DEAR program…. and the Eviction Diversion Program… I’m just glad that we’ve taken that step, and we wouldn’t have been able to take that step if we hadn’t had confidence in Legal Aid and our other partners… We are a very prosperous city… our whole task is to make sure that everybody is able to share in our new found prosperity.”

Several of the speakers underscored the importance of Legal Aid of North Carolina’s work and addressed the need of further civil legal aid. District Attorney Deberry said, “I’m excited to be here…. As a former housing and economic development advocate, I can tell you that civil justice debt is as big an issue as criminal justice debt for the populations that we serve.”

Long-term supporters of the Durham office were present, including Judge Maris. She reflected on her admiration for Gina Reyman’s commitment to justice and on the growth of Durham’s expunction programs. She stated, “Fifty years, that’s amazing, and it’s a tribute to the powerful work that you do here… I can tell you that I believe in what [Legal Aid] does. It is close to my heart. Thank you so much for everything you do. Congratulations on 50 years!”

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Healthcare Access

RALEIGH – December 15, the first major deadline of this Affordable Care Act open enrollment period, is rapidly approaching, and uninsured North Carolinians who want to enroll in quality, affordable health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace must enroll by that date if they want their new coverage to begin on New Year’s Day. For consumers who need to renew their coverage, December 15 is the deadline to choose a plan so they don’t experience any gap in coverage as the new year begins.

The North Carolina Navigator Consortium and Enroll America encourage all uninsured North Carolinians to take​ advantage of the quality plans and financial assistance available through the Affordable Care Act – or potentially face a fine for going without health insurance in 2016.

Here are five things every North Carolinian needs to know about getting covered by December 15:

1. The first open enrollment deadline is December 15.

The open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace lasts three months, from November 1 until January 31, 2016. During this time, North Carolinians are able to enter the Marketplace and select a plan that fits their needs and budget. North Carolinians who currently have coverage through the Marketplace or an individual plan outside the Marketplace will also have an opportunity to shop the new options available and find the best plan for them. Enrolling by December 15 will guarantee that their coverage will start on New Year’s Day, providing them with the peace of mind that comes with protecting themselves and their families.

2. 92% of North Carolinians got financial help to make their plan more affordable!

For many North Carolinians, affordability is a real concern in their health care decision-making. In the past, high premium costs have forced many to go without health insurance simply because they couldn’t afford it.

The good news is that financial help is available to help you pay for your plan. In fact, as of June 2015, nearly 460,000 were enrolled in coverage through the Marketplace, and 92% of them received financial assistance to make their monthly payments affordable. To find out how much financial assistance you qualify for through the Affordable Care Act, you can check out the Get Covered Calculator tool at GetCoveredAmerica.org/Calculator.

3. In-person help is available to help you understand your options and enroll in a plan.

The enrollment process can be confusing for many, especially if you’ve gone a long time without coverage. Luckily, there is free, in-person enrollment help available in your area. These are unbiased experts in your community who are certified to sit down with you, explain your options, and help you make the best coverage decision for you and your family. They can also help you renew your plan if you’re already insured through the Affordable Care Act and want to keep your coverage or choose a new plan. You can find someone near you and make an appointment by calling 1-855-733-3711 or using the Get Covered Connector tool at GetCoveredAmerica.org/Connector.

4. Plans and prices change every year, and now you can compare your options easily.

Everybody’s needs and financial situations are different, and the wide variety of plans can be intimidating. That’s why Get Covered America has introduced the Get Covered Plan Explorer, a free web-based plan comparison tool that can provide you with up-to-date and easy to understand information on your health coverage options.

By answering a few simple questions about your household, the Plan Explorer will generate a list of available plans that meet your needs – including the plans that cover your doctors. The tool also takes into account the monthly premium and estimated out-of-pocket costs, so you’ll have a good idea of what you’ll pay throughout the year. Using side-by-side comparisons, you can be confident that you’re choosing the plan that best fits your needs and your annual budget. Explore your options now at GetCoveredAmerica.org/Explorer.

5. You may face a fine come tax time if you remain uninsured.

This enrollment period is an opportunity to not only gain access to quality affordable healthcare for you and your family, but to also avoid paying a fine when you file your taxes. If you do not enroll in a plan by the final deadline of January 31, 2016, you could face a fine of $695 or 2.5% of your yearly income, whichever is greater. The fine will increase each year, making it more and more costly to delay complying with the law – on top of having to pay out-of-pocket for costly health services during the year. Enrolling in coverage could not only save your family $695 or more, but also provides covers free preventative care, prescription drug coverage, and other essentials for a healthy life.

You can learn more about the Affordable Care Act, your coverage options, and how you can help your friends and family get covered at GetCoveredAmerica.org.

# # #

The NC Navigator Consortium is a group of 14 health care, social service, and legal aid organizations that helps North Carolina consumers enroll in affordable health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. The consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to low-income North Carolinians. Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Cape Fear HealthNet, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC, Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

Enroll America is the nation’s leading health care enrollment coalition. An independent nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Enroll America works with more than 6,700 partners in all 50 states to create cutting-edge tools, analyze data, inform policy, and share best practices in service of its mission: maximizing the number of Americans who enroll in and retain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Media Contact: Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, 919-856-2132

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Fair Housing

RALEIGH, April 28, 2017 – When fair housing advocates gather for Raleigh’s 14th Annual Fair Housing Conference on April 28, they will have much to celebrate: national Fair Housing Month, the federal Fair Housing Act’s 49th anniversary, and our nation’s continuing commitment to the principle of equal housing for all.

Advocates from Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Fair Housing Project will join the celebration, and will mark some milestones of their own: the Project’s sixth anniversary and the $5.25 million in relief for victims of housing discrimination it has won over those six years.

Launched in 2011 with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project is the state’s only full-service fair housing enforcement organization. The Project provides legal representation to victims, conducts undercover fair housing testing, and provides training and education programs on fair housing law to community advocates, landlords, and local government officials, among others.

The Project has brought cases in federal and state courts, and initiated administrative proceedings before HUD, the North Carolina Human Relations Commission and local human relations commissions across the state.

The Project has a small number of full-time staff but makes a big impact. Most of the $5.25 million in relief for victims came from recent settlements of three high-profile cases involving allegations of systemic sexual harassment, disability rights or racial discrimination. The three cases are:

  • The Fair Housing Project represented 16 women who had alleged that they experienced sexual harassment by employees of Four County Community Services, a non-profit organization running a subsidized housing assistance program in Scotland County. The settlement of the case in 2015 resulted in $1,070,000 in relief for the plaintiffs, as well as an additional $1,000,000 for other aggrieved persons represented by the U.S. Department of Justice in a related case. Learn more.
  • As a result of fair housing testing, the Project discovered what it believed to be violations of the Fair Housing Act’s accessibility requirements for new multifamily housing and filed an administrative complaint with HUD regarding SkyHouse apartment buildings in Raleigh, Charlotte and other cities. The parties settled in September 2016, with the respondents agreeing to provide ramps and other accessibility modifications upon request to tenants with disabilities, as well as to provide $1,800,000 to be used to make accessibility modifications for low-income tenants with disabilities in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Learn more.
  • As a result of the Project’s lending testing program, it filed an administrative complaint with HUD regarding potential differences in treatment by Fidelity Bank based on race. As a result of the conciliation agreement reached in the case, Fidelity agreed to invest $1,000,000 over two years in low-income communities in which it operated. Learn more.

In addition to the millions of dollars secured for those impacted by fair housing violations, Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project has helped dozens of people with disabilities obtain reasonable accommodations from their landlords, allowing them to have full access and enjoyment of their homes. The Project has also obtained agreements from three property management companies and landlords affecting hundreds of rental units in which formal reasonable accommodation policies were adopted to ensure that the properties comply with federal and state fair housing law.

North Carolinians seeking information about their rights under the federal Fair Housing Act or who believe they are a victim of housing discrimination can call the Project’s statewide toll-free helpline at 1-855-797-FAIR (3247). All conversations are completely confidential.

# # #

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Our Fair Housing Project works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement. The Project is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program. Learn more at LegalAidNC.org and FairHousingNC.org.

Media Contacts

  • Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org
  • Jeffrey Dillman, Co-Project Director, Fair Housing Project, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-861-1884, JeffD@legalaidnc.org

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Fair Housing

RALEIGH, April 22, 2016​ – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced a $1 million settlemen​t agreement that resolves allegations of racially discriminatory lending practices made by our Fair Housing Project against Fidelity Bank.

Under the terms of the settlement, Fidelity will spend $500,000 a year for two years to make investments and community development loans in census tracts where the majority of residents are racial minorities. At least 40 percent of those investments and loans will specifically promote affordable housing.

Our Fair Housing Project filed a complaint with HUD in February 2015 alleging that employees of a Fidelity Bank branch in Raleigh had engaged in discriminatory lending practices based on race, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.

To learn more, read HUD’s press release and download the full settlement agreement.

Our Fair Housing Project works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people in North Carolina through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement.​ Learn more at fairhousingnc.org​.

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Fair Housing

RALEIGH, December 5, 2017 – Legal Aid of North Carolina announced today that it has settled a federal discrimination complaint filed against Wake County Human Services on behalf of a disabled woman who received rental assistance through the county’s Rental Assistance Housing Program. Under the terms of the settlement, the county will provide additional protections to program participants who are disabled and those who have limited English proficiency.

Wake County’s Rental Assistance Housing Program targets individuals with serious psychiatric disabilities who are homeless and in need of ongoing mental health and supportive services to be able to live independently in the community.

The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2015, alleged that the county had violated the federal Fair Housing Act by terminating the client’s rental assistance for reasons related to her disability, failing to provide her with an interpreter despite knowing that she had limited proficiency in English, and depriving her of a fair procedure when it terminated her rental assistance.

Under the settlement, the county agreed to:

  • Implement a new appeals procedure that provides additional protections for disabled program participants who are at risk of having their voucher terminated;
  • Introduce a written policy that informs participants of their right to request certain accommodations from their landlord, such as allowing an individual who has difficulty climbing stairs to move to a ground floor apartment;
  • Provide an interpreter to program participants with limited English proficiency who are appealing the termination of their rental assistance; and
  • Pay an undisclosed sum of money to compensate the client.

“The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid is committed to ensuring that individuals with severe psychiatric disabilities, just like all residents of North Carolina, are able to benefit from the protections of the Fair Housing Act,” said Lauren Brasil, one of the attorneys at the Fair Housing Project who represented the client. 

“Wake County is to be commended for implementing a new appeals process for individuals with severe mental disabilities who want to challenge the termination of their rental assistance. By giving these individuals the ability to contact Legal Aid and be represented by a lawyer at no cost when their rental assistance is at risk of being terminated, the county affords this vulnerable population a fighting chance to preserve their housing,” said Suzanne Chester, co-counsel on the case. “In addition, a written policy for making requests for accommodations helps people with disabilities live independently and avoid institutionalization.”

# # #

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at LegalAidNC.org.

Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement. North Carolinians who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can contact the Fair Housing Project at 1-855-797-3247 or info@fairhousingnc.org. The project’s work is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program. Learn more about the project and fair housing laws at FairHousingNC.org.

Media Contacts
Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of N.C., 919-856-2132, SeanD@legalaidnc.org

Author: pricelessmisc

CHARLOTTE · September 21, 2017 – Faith Fickling, a career-long Legal Aid lawyer and committed community servant, was named a 2017 Leader in the Law by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly. She was honored at the publication’s awards event Sept. 15 in Charlotte.

“Faith is a leader and doer,” wrote Heather Culp, an attorney with Essex Richards, in a letter supporting Fickling’s nomination. “She raises her hand and says yes. If she says she will get something done, it gets done. She encourages others to get involved and do their part to improve the community, leading by example and inviting folks to participate with her. She is early in her legal career and the sky is the limit for her.”

In 2006, only months after earning her Juris Doctor from the Syracuse University College of Law, Fickling began her legal career as a staff attorney in Legal Aid’s Pittsboro office. In 2007, she moved to our Concord office and joined our Senior Law Project. A year later, she moved to our Charlotte office, serving as a staff attorney there until 2013, when she became supervising attorney of the office’s Domestic Violence Unit, the position she holds today.

As head of the Domestic Violence Unit, Fickling not only oversees all of its legal work and administrative procedures, but she carries her own heavy caseload that requires her to be in court many days of the week. She also serves as a committed mentor to the unit’s attorneys, law clerks and interns, and regularly recruits and trains pro bono volunteers.

“She has a strong work ethic, a strong commitment to serving our clients and others, and strong leadership skills,” wrote Cindy Patton, managing attorney of the Charlotte office, in support of Fickling’s nomination. “She has become an invaluable member of our statewide organization.”

Fickling is also a leader in her local legal community. She served on the Mecklenburg County Bar’s board of directors from 2014 to 2016, is a 2011 graduate of the Bar Leadership Institute, has served on numerous Bar committees throughout her career, and is currently a member of its Professionalism, Lawyer Life and Culture Committee. Outside of the Bar, Fickling is an active member of the Mecklenburg County Domestic Violence Court Committee, which addresses issues in the county’s civil and criminal domestic violence courts.

“Faith is an outstanding lawyer of achievement: a smart, passionate and committed advocate for justice, especially for her economically vulnerable clients, and a role model for her colleagues for her consummate professionalism,” wrote George Hausen, executive director of Legal Aid of North Carolina, in support of her nomination.

“I am honored to be recognized as a Leader in the Law,” said Fickling. “Legal Aid has molded me into the attorney I am today and provides me with the privilege to pursue justice for those who need it most. I am proud and grateful to work with such incredible, smart and dedicated colleagues at Legal Aid. Their work is demanding, critical and – most importantly – equitable. They are also leaders in the law, and I truly share this award with them.”

Fickling is equally committed to community service outside of the legal arena. She is a member of the board of directors of Presbyterian Psychological Services, a nonprofit counseling center in Charlotte, and is a regular volunteer at Crisis Assistance Ministry, Second Harvest and the Clyde and Ethel Dickson Domestic Violence Shelter. In 2001, after earning her bachelor’s in international studies from American University, she joined the Peace Corps as an Education Volunteer, teaching English and promoting health and environmental awareness in Madagascar. In college, she interned with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Fickling is a native of Buffalo, New York. She speaks French and some Malagasy, the native language of Madagascar.

# # #

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Legal Aid’s Charlotte office serves clients in Mecklenburg County. Learn more at LegalAidNC.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Media Contact

Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to On International Migrants Day, migrant farmworker advocates release video "Isolated by Force: Denying Migrant Farmworkers Access to Services"

RALEIGH – In recognition of International Migrants Day, a day designated by the United Nations to celebrate the role of the migrant and to promote the protection of the rights of migrant workers and their families, the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of North Carolina joins the Transnational Legal Clinic of the University of Pennsylvania to announce the release of a new video, “Isolated by Force: Denying Migrant Farmworkers Access to Services.”

Migrant farmworkers in North Carolina and across the United States labor and live in isolation, housed in employer-owned and operated labor camps. Employers, often aided by local law enforcement, regularly deny workers access to medical, legal, and other social service providers. There is no federal law governing access rights; instead, the right of access is in an uneven and patchwork system of state statutes, judicial opinions, and administrative guidance.

Even in North Carolina, where an opinion letter by the Attorney General supports the rights of migrant workers to receive visitors at their camps, those rights are regularly denied.

“Last year, an employer in Bladen County tried to prevent legal aid advocates from speaking with workers at a camp where there were suspected labor law violations. Despite being shown the Attorney General’s opinion allowing access to migrant labor camps, the employer called the sheriff to report that we were trespassing. When we tried to visit the same camp a few weeks later, we encountered a locked gate and were prevented from talking to the workers,” said Caroline DiMaio, attorney in the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of North Carolina.

Another example took place in May, when an employer carrying a gun in Sampson County approached a group of health outreach workers who had come to the camp to do health assessments and promote the services in their clinics. Despite many of them being dressed in scrubs and carrying medical equipment, the employer asked if they were prostitutes and told them they were illiterate because they “couldn’t read the no-trespassing sign.” He said he had called the cops and told them to leave the premises. As they drove away, they noticed the sheriff’s car pulling into the drive.

Service providers across the country report similar practices, where farm owners and camp operators subject them and the workers to harassment and threats of violence, and threats or actual arrest carried out by local law enforcement.

“Over and over again, our partners and staff continue to be denied access to the homes of the workers who we are trying to serve. Even when we are explicitly invited, employers bar entry, at times with the threat of violence, adding to the culture of intimidation and fear that farmworkers experience,” said Julie Pittman, paralegal at the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of North Carolina.

“Isolated by Force,” produced by the Transnational Legal Clinic, calls attention to the devastating impact this has on migrant farm workers’ rights under international law, including the right to freedom of association, freedom of assembly, basic workplace rights, and the right to be free from forced labor and human trafficking. It also recognizes the rights of the service providers themselves to security in person and not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest. The video calls on the United States to protect migrant workers’ and their advocates’ basic human rights by guaranteeing unrestricted access to workers living in isolation on employer-owned and operated labor camps.

Today, as the world celebrates migrants and their contributions to local communities and the global economy, “Isolated by Force” serves as a reminder of the work the United States government has to do to guarantee migrant workers’ human rights, and calls upon the United States to ensure service providers access to workers in employer-controlled housing, and investigate the actions of law enforcement and others who interfere with the right to access migrant labor camps.

# # #

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Find us on Facebook and Twitter. The Farmworker Unit is a statewide project of Legal Aid of North Carolina committed to providing high quality civil legal services to address the special legal needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina. Learn more at www.farmworkerlanc.org and find us on Facebook in English and Spanish.

Learn more about International Migrants Day at www.un.org/en/events/migrantsday/.

Media Contacts

Lariza Garzón, Community Education Coordinator, Farmworker Unit, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2186, LarizaG@legalaidnc.org

Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Disaster Relief
CLINIC CALENDAR
Sat, Jan 12 · New Bern

Craven Community College
800 College Court

Morning: 9:30 am – 12 pm
Afternoon: 12:30 pm – 4 pm

Sat, Feb 9 · Wilmington

Cape Fear Community College
Union Station Building
502 North Front Street

Morning: 9:30 am – 12 pm
Afternoon: 12:30 pm – 4 pm

Sat, Feb 23 · Morehead City

Carteret Community College
3505 Arendell Street

Morning: 9:30 am – 12 pm
Afternoon: 12:30 pm – 4 pm

REGISTER ONLINE

RALEIGH · December 19, 2018 – Pro bono attorneys will help Hurricane Florence survivors file FEMA appeals and reconsiderations at free Saturday clinics on Jan. 12 in New Bern, Feb. 9 in Wilmington and Feb. 23 in Morehead City. See sidebar for details.

Florence survivors have the right to appeal FEMA’s decision if it denied their application for assistance, or if they believe they are eligible for additional assistance. Survivors must appeal in writing – not by email – within 60 days of the date on their FEMA decision letter.

Survivors whose appeal has already been denied can still ask FEMA to reconsider its decision if they can present compelling new evidence, like a late-arriving letter from their insurance company, to support their claim.

Survivors who want to file an appeal or reconsideration can attend these clinics to learn more about their rights and get free help from a North Carolina pro bono attorney.

The clinics will start with an educational presentation given by an attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina, followed by confidential, one-on-one meetings with pro bono attorneys recruited by the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center and the North Carolina Bar Foundation. The clinics are funded by a grant from the North Carolina State Bar’s IOLTA program and coordinated by the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center.

At the clinics, the pro bono attorneys will help survivors figure out why FEMA made its decision and if they are eligible to file an appeal or reconsideration. For eligible survivors, the attorneys will help them prepare and send in their request.

Survivors must register in advance to meet with a pro bono attorney at no cost. Survivors can register for free at ncprobono.org/assistance. No registration is required to attend the educational presentation.

Survivors who register to meet with a pro bono attorney should bring with them all their relevant documents and a photo ID.

“You don’t need a lawyer to file a FEMA appeal, but having one definitely helps. The process can seem daunting, especially for those who are still struggling to recover. Having an expert by your side can take away a lot of that stress,” Lesley Albritton, head of Legal Aid NC’s disaster relief efforts, said.

“North Carolina lawyers have really stepped up to the plate to help Florence survivors,” Katherine Asaro, staff attorney with the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, said.

“These volunteers will provide a service that is critical to helping survivors get back on their feet, and it’s one that many couldn’t afford otherwise. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity. We are also very excited about partnering with local community colleges on this project,” she said.

# # #

Media contacts

  • Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org
  • Katherine Asaro, Staff Attorney, North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, 919-890-1097, katherine@ncprobono.org

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center recruits, trains, supports, and promotes lawyers who provide pro bono legal services in civil cases to North Carolinians with unmet legal needs. Learn more at ncprobono.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Fair Housing

RALEIGH · May 15, 2018 – Over 250 low income families with disabilities in four states have obtained accessibility modifications to their homes and apartments as a result of a project jointly run by Legal Aid of North Carolina and the RL Mace Universal Design Institute. In North Carolina, the program has provided over $450,000 to assist 77 families pay for a variety of accessibility features such as ramps; accessible bathtubs, showers, and toilets; widening of doorways, and other features to allow individuals with disabilities to more easily use their homes.

In addition to the money being provided to residents of North Carolina, the program has provided over $1 million to pay for accessibility modifications for an additional 175 families in Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

Funds for the program were obtained as part of the settlement of two cases in which Legal Aid alleged that apartment complexes were not built in conformity with required fair housing accessibility standards. The parties in the cases agreed to provide funds totaling $1.89 million to pay for accessibility modifications for low-income individuals. As of April 1, 2018, the fund has provided assistance for over 100 ramps and other exterior alterations; nearly 100 accessible bathrooms, including bathtubs, showers, and toilets; and a variety of other access modifications covering kitchens, door widenings, flooring safety and grab bars. An additional 30 families are scheduled to receive the remaining funds.

  Households Assisted Ramp & Other Exterior Kitchen Doorways Floor Grab Bars Toilet Whole Bath Shower
N.C. 77 34 3 9 9 3 8 37 20
Fla. 71 43 5 4 0 4 3 16 6
Ga. 40 14 5 3 8 4 8 18 12
Tex. 64 26 3 4 5 11 2 24 7
Total 252 117 16 20 22 22 21 95 45

Jeffrey Dillman, Co-Director of the Fair Housing Project at Legal Aid, stated, “Adding a ramp or a roll-in shower is a big expense for anyone, and for low-income individuals, it can be impossible to save the thousands of dollars needed. We are very pleased to see that hundreds of individuals have benefited from this program.”

Richard Duncan, Executive Director of the Universal Design Institute, which administers the funds, noted, “These home accessibility modifications have improved the independence and safety of individuals and have helped entire households better manage a range of daily tasks that include bathing, cooking or even just going outside. Both individuals and their care providers, whether paid or unpaid, now have safer and more functional homes. The improvements have made a huge difference in their lives.”

Launched in 2011 with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project is the state’s only full-service fair housing enforcement organization. The Project provides legal representation to victims of discrimination, conducts undercover fair housing testing, and provides training and education programs on fair housing law to community advocates, landlords, and local government officials, among others. The Project has brought cases in federal and state courts, and initiated administrative proceedings before HUD, the North Carolina Human Relations Commission and local human relations commissions across the state. Since its founding in 2011, the Project has helped obtain over $6.6 million in relief for victims of discrimination.

The Universal Design Institute is a non-profit organization based in North Carolina dedicated to promoting the concept and practice of accessible and universal design. The Institute’s work manifests the belief that all new environments and products, to the greatest extent possible, should and can be usable by everyone regardless of age, ability, or circumstance.

North Carolinians seeking information about their rights under the federal Fair Housing Act or who believe they are a victim of housing discrimination can call the Project’s statewide toll-free helpline at 1-855-797-FAIR (3247). All conversations are completely confidential.

# # #

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Our Fair Housing Project works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement. The Project is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program.

Media Contacts

Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org

Richard Duncan, Executive Director, RL Mace Universal Design Institute, 919-608-1812, rduncan@udinstitute.org

Author: pricelessmisc

← Back to Disaster Relief

Please note that this information is from 2018. If you are a Hurricane Florence survivor and would like Legal Aid’s help during recovery, please call 866-219-5262 to learn more about our services and eligibility. For more information about how Legal Aid may be able to help Florence survivors, click here.

Additional Counties Approved to Receive Federal Aid, Total Now Stands at 34

A pro bono legal services project of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of North Carolina, American Bar Association, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency helps North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Florence

RALEIGH · October 26, 2018 – A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for survivors of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer free of charge, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with support from the North Carolina Bar Foundation.

Survivors of Hurricane Florence who have disaster-related legal questions or concerns may call 1-833-242-3549, the NC DLS assistance hotline activated by the North Carolina Bar Association. Callers should identify that they are seeking hurricane-related legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services and identify the county in which they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help.

Examples of legal assistance available include:

  • Assistance with appeals of FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors
  • Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors, including fraud or scams
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
  • Assistance with consumer protection matters
  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
  • Counseling on landlord/tenant problems
  • Emergency family law-related needs caused by a change in housing circumstances

The hotline is available weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases will be referred to the NCBA Lawyer Referral Service (www.NCFindALawyer.org).

Major Disaster Declaration

A total of 34 North Carolina counties have been approved to receive federal assistance in the wake of Hurricane Florence. The counties are Anson, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Union, Wayne and Wilson counties. Additional counties may be added.

People who sustained property damage as a result of the Hurricane Florence are urged to register with FEMA, as they may be eligible for federal and state disaster assistance. People can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or Web-enabled device at fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) seven days a week. Hurricane Florence survivors are also urged to call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 if there are any questions, they need clarifications or to inquire about status updates of their registrations.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for eligible applicants. SBA helps businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or damaged personal property. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, individuals may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit the disaster Web page at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/3380, Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website, http://www.ncdps.gov/.

Beware of Fraud

Both FEMA and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office are warning North Carolina residents of the risk of fraud and common scams in the wake of the severe weather. Common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations and fake offers of state or federal aid. North Carolinians are urged to ask questions, and to require identification when someone claims to represent a government agency.

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. There is no fee required to apply for or to receive disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or the state. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for your financial account information. Unless you place a call to the agency yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone as it can lead to identity theft.

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free). Complaints may also be made to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-566-7226.

Background

When the U.S. President declares a major disaster, FEMA, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, helps to establish a toll-free number for disaster survivors to request legal assistance. Funding for the toll-free line comes from FEMA under the authority of Section 415 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 100-707). The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in turn partners with state bar associations and other legal organizations to recruit volunteer lawyers in affected areas to handle survivors’ cases. In North Carolina, the partners utilize the hotline offered by the North Carolina Bar Association, which provides legal information and referrals for civil legal issues. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service. To determine whether an issue qualifies for free legal assistance, individuals should call 1-800-310-7029 to determine whether a particular issue qualifies.

Partner Organizations

The following organizations have joined forces to establish a toll-free phone line for North Carolina Hurricane Florence survivors to request free legal assistance, and to provide volunteer attorneys to handle cases arising from hurricane related damage.

North Carolina Bar Association

The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. The NCBA has established a special website devoted to disaster-related resources: www.ncbar.org/florence/.

Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, non-profit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

The ABA YLD, the largest national organization of young lawyers, provides leadership in serving the public and the profession, and promotes excellence and fulfillment in the practice of law. Its parent organization, the ABA, is the national voice of the legal profession and one of the largest voluntary professional membership groups in the world.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. Through an agreement with the American Bar Association, FEMA underwrites the cost of operating toll free legal assistance lines for survivors in areas designated as federal disaster sites.

National Disaster Legal Aid Online

NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

United Policyholders

United Policyholders (UP) (www.uphelp.org) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) consumer advocacy group that specializes in helping disaster survivors with insurance claim issues. UP also trains case managers and legal aid lawyers to assist clients with insurance and disaster recovery matters.

Contacts