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

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

| By BayLegal
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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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Bay Area Families Continue to Face Eviction Threat During the Pandemic

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
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Gavel And Small Model House On Wooden Table
This August 3rd KPIX story by Susie Steimle profiles one family’s struggle with eviction, and the housing insecurity still facing many low-income Bay Area families during the COVID-19 pandemic. BayLegal attorney Jia Min Cheng is quoted, reminding tenants to seek legal advice before moving out. Throughout the pandemic, BayLegal has worked to advocate in regional …

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As COVID-19 Disrupts Higher Education, Students Find Themselves Trapped in Long Term Leases

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
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College dorms overlooking a lawn
Louis Hansen’s story in the July 26th San Jose Mercury News, “Bay Area college students trapped in pre-coronavirus leases,” helps to illuminate how the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Bay Area’s overheated rental markets are creating housing insecurity for students whose lives have already been deeply changed by the ongoing public health emergency. …

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Housing Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors: Webinar Series Starts Today — Registration Is Still Open!

| By BayLegal
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Flyer for Housing Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors Webinar
Bay Area Legal Aid in partnership with the Latina Coalition’s ELLA Program presents a webinar series: / Bay Area Legal Aid en colaboración con el programa “ELLA” de la Coalición Latina de Silicon Valley presenta una serie de seminarios web: Housing Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors / Derechos de Vivienda para Sobrevivantes de Violencia Doméstica …

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Updates on BayLegal’s Advocacy with the Judicial Council of California

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
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California Judicial Council Seal, which includes a picture of Roman goddess Minerva
The Judicial Council is the policymaking body of the California courts. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, BayLegal has worked with the Judicial Council to advocate for the needs of low-income litigants and for overall public safety within the legal system, supporting the statewide suspension of eviction proceedings along with court closures and changes to procedures to …

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Q&A: Economic Impact Payments, Unemployment, and Outreach to Unhoused Bay Area Residents

| By BayLegal
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The San Francisco Chronicle last week published this useful Q&A on public benefits and emergency relief linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Business columnist Kathleen Pender reached out to several Bay Area organizations serving public benefits recipients and unhoused people for answers on Economic Impact Payments, unemployment, and related topics. BayLegal Regional Managing Attorney for SSI …

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BayLegal Launches New Resource Page for Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

| By BayLegal
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Seven young people lounge against a wall smiling
BayLegal’s Youth Justice unit is working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to continue providing legal advice and representation to youth and caregivers. As part of this work, our team has launched a new web page, Resources for Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic. We encourage young people and caregivers with questions about legal rights relating to distance …

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URGENT News About Economic Impact Payments: May 5th Deadline to Claim Dependent Child Payments This Year

| By BayLegal
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A purple-gloved hand lays on top of a check from the U.S. Treasury
May 5 is the final day for SSI recipients who did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return to claim their dependent children on the IRS non-filers’ web tool in order to receive the additional $500 per qualifying child this year. Those who do not file by 5/5 can still claim the $500 economic …

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Executive Director’s Blog, April 2020

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Executive Director blog, Homepage, News
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Genevieve Richardson, Executive Director
Dear Friends of BayLegal, Welcome to the April issue of our 2020 Storytelling Project, in which we reconnect with our history to show how our advocacy in the present day has continued our mission to break the cycles of family and community poverty. The Covid-19 public health crisis further exposes the institutional structures in our …

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Fighting for Second Chances: BayLegal’s Reentry Unit

| By BayLegal
Categories: 20th Anniversary, Anniversary Interview Series, Anniversary Timeline, Client Story, eNewsletter Story, News
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A cartoon figure stands behind bars with the barriers to reentry listed in red around them
“Fear isn’t holding me back as much”   Luke is the father of two boys. One is three years old, the other seven. He works for a subcontracting company in the East Bay, where he spoke to us by phone from the company’s warehouse. “We’re still working during the pandemic,” he explained. “A lot of …

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UPDATED: Urgent Notice for Social Security Recipients with Dependents

| By BayLegal
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A purple-gloved hand lays on top of a check from the U.S. Treasury
Take Action by May 5th to Receive Your Full Economic Impact Payment! [Update 4/24/2020: Deadline for action has been extended to May 5th]. If you are a Social Security recipient with dependents and you did not file federal income taxes for 2018 or 2019, you need to take action by TUESDAY, MAY 5TH. This revised press release …

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