RALEIGH – Global law firm Baker McKenzie, in partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina and Bank of America, is pleased to announce the publication of the North Carolina Homeless Youth Handbook, an online resource designed to empower young people to understand their legal rights and take action to build safe, stable futures with North Carolina-specific information.
Nearly 500 unaccompanied youth were identified as living on their own and without consistent access to shelter in North Carolina in 2020. In North Carolina schools, nearly 35,000 students are estimated to be experiencing some form of homelessness, and their struggles have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Handbook is an online resource written in plain-language and in a youth-friendly question-and-answer format to ensure young people can use it themselves. The resource will be shared with schools, libraries, public agencies, social advocates, and others throughout North Carolina.
“Homeless children are among the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Hope Williams, an attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina. “It is critical that those who have the ability to help these children do everything they can to educate them about their rights and connect them to resources that can help stabilize their lives. The Homeless Youth Handbook is a powerful tool for homeless children and their advocates, and we at Legal Aid are proud to have contributed to its development.”
About 75 volunteers donated more than 1,000 hours of pro bono effort to research, write, and edit the handbook, which covers topics including education, domestic and dating violence, healthcare, and more. Organizations that supported the effort include Bank of America, ACLU of North Carolina, Disability Rights North Carolina, North Carolina Office of the Juvenile Defender, Wake County Public Defender’s Office, Equality North Carolina, and the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program.
Baker McKenzie has partnered with other organizations to produce 11 handbooks in 10 states and Washington D.C. Learn more here.
“Housing is the most basic structural need for everyday life, and the lack of a stable home fuels many social and economic challenges that our communities face. We welcome the opportunity to work with our organizational partners to release The Homeless Youth Handbook. This project demonstrates how collaboration among in-house counsel, non-profits and law firms can exponentially increase assistance to those in need, particularly the most vulnerable among us during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Colin Murray, North America Chief Executive Officer at Baker McKenzie.
“Through partnerships like this, we provide youth in the US, and their advocates, with clear guidance on young people’s legal rights,” added Jaclyn Pampel, Baker McKenzie Pro Bono Partner and one of the leads of this effort. “Thank you to the talented teams at Legal Aid of North Carolina and Bank of America, and to all of our supporting partners, for their collaboration on this important project.”
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About Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie helps clients overcome the challenges of competing in the global economy. We solve complex legal problems across borders and practice areas. Our unique culture, developed over 70 years, enables our 13,000 people to understand local markets and navigate multiple jurisdictions, working together as trusted colleagues and friends to instill confidence in our clients. (www.bakermckenzie.com)
About Legal Aid of North Carolina
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. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Need legal help? Call 1-866-219-5262 (toll-free) or apply online.
On this episode of Housing on Monday Evening (HOME), Laura Hogshead, Director of Recovery and Resiliency in the N.C. Department of Public Safety, joins us to talk about our new 88-county Eviction Diversion Program, which fights to keep struggling renters in their homes during the COVID-related eviction crisis. The new program is a partnership with NC HOPE, part of the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency, which distributes rental and utility assistance to North Carolinians in 88 counties. Learn how our Eviction Diversion Program and NC HOPE are working together to keep renters safe and sound across the state. #NCORR
RALEIGH — Tenants in North Carolina who are facing eviction or struggling with other housing issues have a new, easier way to get free legal help.
As of yesterday, North Carolinians in all 100 counties can call 1-877-201-6426 (toll-free) to connect directly to our newly expanded team of housing lawyers, paralegals and outreach workers. The Housing Helpline is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“Tenants facing eviction or struggling with other housing problems no longer have to call our general Helpline, which has been overwhelmed with callers since the start of the pandemic,” said Scheree M. Gilchrist, managing attorney of our Central Intake Unit, which runs the helplines.
“Our new Housing Helpline allows tenants to bypass the general queue, avoid long hold times and quickly reach our housing specialists,” Gilchrist said. “We are in the middle of an eviction crisis and evictions move fast in North Carolina. We don’t want families being put out on the street because they couldn’t reach us in time.”
While we are launching the Housing Helpline largely in response to the COVID-related eviction crisis, the helpline is available to tenants with any housing issue, including problems with repairs and maintenance, housing vouchers, public housing, mobile homes, rental assistance programs and other issues.
The Housing Helpline is part of our new 88-county eviction diversion program, which boosts services to residents of traditionally underserved, largely rural counties in our state. The new program serves the same 88 counties covered by the North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program, which provides rent and utility assistance to struggling tenants.
While we have always handled eviction cases in these 88 counties, new funding from the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency has allowed us to increase our services in these areas. With the new funding, we have hired more lawyers, paralegals and outreach workers to provide more holistic services to tenants. In addition to the core legal services we have always provided—legal advice and representation—the new program allows us to dedicate more resources to negotiating with landlords and helping tenants resolve any barriers to receiving rental assistance from HOPE and other programs.
A partnership with the HOPE Program is an integral part of our new eviction diversion effort. We will receive referrals directly from HOPE, educate tenants and landlords about how the program works, negotiate with landlords who do not want to accept HOPE funds, and represent tenants in court when the landlord chooses to pursue an eviction rather than accept the HOPE funds or after accepting rental assistance.
“We are excited about this partnership with HOPE,” Peter Gilbert, the head of the new eviction diversion program, said. “Legal assistance and rental assistance are both often necessary to keeping people in their homes. By working together, Legal Aid NC and HOPE can make sure that all the necessary elements come together to prevent eviction and keep families off the street.”
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About
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. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Need legal help? Call 1-866-219-5262 (toll-free) or apply online.
Isaac Sturgill, head of Legal Aid of North Carolina’s housing practice group, gives an update on the new CDC eviction moratorium and answers questions.
