Bay Area Legal Aid’s Tenant Rights Initiatives in Alameda County, part three
Preserving Housing for Tenants with Disabilities
Access to legal counsel can make a huge difference in outcomes for low-income tenants facing eviction. Representation can be the deciding factor in successfully challenging an improper or unlawful eviction proceeding. Even in cases where a landlord has the legal basis to pursue a tenant’s removal, free legal services like those provided by BayLegal can open up access to negotiated alternatives and resources for financial help. This can be especially crucial for low-income tenants with disabilities, who are more likely to face eviction and more likely to become unhoused as a result.
In one recent case, our client was living with a disability and had multiple medical issues. At the time he reached out to BayLegal, he had been in and out of the hospital for a year. The combination of financial strain and disruption to his life due to his medical issues had caused him to fall behind on his rent payments. He was being threatened with eviction and faced the possibility of becoming unhoused. His BayLegal attorney was able to negotiate a payment plan with his landlord, and to successfully navigate the application process for rental assistance. Access to free legal services allowed him not only to avoid eviction in the short term, but to locate the resources to maintain his housing in the longer term as well.