Oakland City Attorney Launches Housing Justice Initiative and Know Your Rights Campaign

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
October 22, 2020: Today Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker announced the launch of the Housing Justice Initiative. Building on the work of the City Attorney’s office to protect tenant rights during the pandemic against illegal self-help evictions, lockouts and utility shutoffs, and other abuses that threaten renters’ ability to safely shelter in place, the HJI …

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BayLegal Opposes the City of Oakland’s Proposed “Homeless Encampment Management Policy”

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
On Friday, October 16, Bay Area Legal Aid attorneys submitted public comment strongly opposing the City of Oakland’s proposed “Homeless Encampment Management Policy.” Implementation of the policy as written would result in unconstitutional seizures of property and denial of due process rights to those living unsheltered in Oakland. It would needlessly increase policing, accelerate the …

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Working to Protect Accessible and Representative Juries in Alameda County Misdemeanor Trials

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
BayLegal has submitted a letter urging that the Alameda County Superior Court reconsider its plan to eliminate local jury panels and to institute county-wide jury pools for misdemeanor trials. Traveling across-county to serve on a jury would be a tremendous hardship for low-income people, particularly those with disabilities and during the pandemic. Our clients’ decreased …

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Advocating for Due Process Rights for Our Immigrant Survivor Clients

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
The BayLegal Regional Immigration team has submitted comments opposing proposed Executive Office of Immigration Review rules that would strip important due process rights from noncitizens before the immigration court and Board of Immigration Appeals. The proposed regulations would dramatically alter the BIA appellate process, prevent many noncitizens with immediate relatives or asylum eligibility from reopening …

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Eliminate the Inflated Cost of Phone and Video Communication for People Incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail and Their Families

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
Yesterday Bay Area Legal Aid joined nine other legal services, prisoner support, and social justice organizations in urging the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to eliminate the inflated cost of phone and video communications between people incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail (SRJ) and their families. Families and communities most affected by incarceration are already among …

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Wildfire Local Assistance Center Opens in Napa County

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
Napa County OES Seal
From Napa County OES, October 5, 2020: Individuals, families, and business owners in Napa County affected by the 2020 Glass Fire can begin the process of receiving support through the Napa County Local Assistance Center (LAC). The center will provide “One Stop Information” for local, State, and Federal recovery resources that may become available. The …

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What Tenants Need to Know About Their Protections Under State Law and Federal Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
A jigsaw puzzle of a housing complex with three loose pieces in the left bottom corner
Last update: September 25, 2020 On August 31st, supermajorities in the CA Assembly and Senate passed AB 3088, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020. The legislation takes effect immediately and contains NO provisions for rent forgiveness or cancellation. At the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also issued an order on September …

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BayLegal Stands Against Proposed HUD Rule Allowing Anti-Transgender Discrimination in Shelters

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News, Other
Protect Trans Live march sign
Bay Area Legal Aid today published our response to a request for comment by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), strongly opposing a new proposed HUD rule for shelter admissions. The rule would enshrine in approved HUD practice anti-transgender discrimination in shelter admissions based on gender stereotyping, create additional barriers to shelter …

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Have You Had Trouble Getting Gender-Affirming Healthcare? Know Your Rights!

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
Image of flyer listing legal resources related to gender-affirming healthcare and denials of coverage
Have You Had Trouble Getting Gender-Affirming Care? Know Your Rights! If your health insurance has denied you gender-affirming care, you have the right to appeal their decision. This may include appealing to state agencies that have more protections for gender-affirming care to prevent discrimination. State agencies often reverse health plan denials. State agencies may also …

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Disaster relief services on-site for fire survivors in Napa

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
FEMA truck and table at the NAPA LAC
Thanks to the Napa Valley Register for spreading the word about FEMA services and a range of other supports by organizations including BayLegal available to wildfire survivors in Napa. The Napa Local Assistance Center (2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive) is offering drive-thru FEMA services from 9am – 6pm daily. Representatives from public agencies and nonprofits …

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Emergency legal help for Bay Area and Northern California residents affected by the 2020 wildfires and COVID-19

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
Plane Approaches Fire Burning On Ridge
On Tuesday, September 1st, 2020, Bay Area Legal Aid in collaboration with the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative will activate a Disaster Relief Legal Hotline for Californians affected by the wildfires in Northern California (north of Monterey County) or COVID-19. Call (888) 382-3406 for help with legal issues related to the fires, and for information and …

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