by: Will Conybeare
Mayor Karen Bass and the nonprofit Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles are calling on legal professionals to donate their time towards the prevention of evictions in L.A.
According to a release from the Mayor’s Fund, a nonprofit associated with City Hall, the call to action is part of the city’s We Are LA campaign, which looks to stop the growth of homelessness in the city by reaching out to housing-insecure Angelenos and connecting them with resources they need to stay in their homes.
The Fund is working in partnership with four different legal aid organizations – Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Bet Tzedek, Inner City Law Center and Neighborhood Legal Services – to connect pro bono lawyers with individuals at risk of eviction.
“We must continue to do all that we can to prevent Angelenos from getting evicted and falling into homelessness,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said. “Everyone has to have skin in the game as we work towards solutions that prevent Angelenos from falling into homelessness in the first place.”
Officials with the Mayor’s Fund also emphasized that legal aid can make the difference between keeping and losing a home.
“Legal resources are critical to preventing Angelenos from falling into homelessness, and our city is filled with legal professionals who can make an enormous difference in people’s lives by helping them remain housed,” said Conway Collis, president and CEO of the Mayor’s Fund of Los Angeles.
The city says that they have reached 150,000 at-risk Angelenos and connected 17,000 households with case workers to stabilize their housing situations.
“The team is working on targeting and assisting one of the most vulnerable populations, 20- to 21-year-old foster youth, among whom 30 percent face the risk of homelessness and are susceptible to human trafficking,” the Mayor’s Fund release said.
The We Are LA hotline, which assists those at risk of losing their homes, can be reached by calling 213-584-1808.
The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles was established in 2014 as a permanent resource for Los Angeles residents to find solutions to challenges throughout the city. More information can be found here.
