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Recent News & Articles

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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Advocating for Low-Income Latinx Consumers Against Aggressive Collection Practices

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
Rubber stamp with the text past due over an invoice document
An August 2nd investigative story by Raheem Hosseini in The Guardian puts a spotlight on the scale and depth of debt burden facing low-income primarily Latinx consumers in California through the practices of a single company. Oportun Inc emerges in the investigation as “one of the most litigious debt collectors in California,” with its high-interest …

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Bay Area Families Continue to Face Eviction Threat During the Pandemic

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
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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Highlighting BayLegal’s Senior Legal Services in Napa County

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
Two cartoon seniors stand under an umbrella, one holding large cut-out heart and the other a chart
Free legal services for seniors were a longstanding core component of practice for Legal Aid of Napa Valley, and a tradition that BayLegal is proud to have sustained following the 2015 agreement that made LANV part of our firm. Our attorneys partner with community organizations throughout the county to provide outreach, legal clinics, and individual …

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Home Improvement Scam ALERT

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
Downloadable about scams involving solar panel installation and other home improvements
[Flyers updated 3/1/2021] Homeowners are being targeted by solar installation and other home improvement scams. Please consult the flyer below to know the warning signs, and to get help if you have been targeted. (Right-click on the flyer if you would like to download and print it). PACE Homeowner Flyers: Watch Out for Solar and …

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