Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/3/2024 Item 7a, Jones Donna Jones < To:Advisory Bodies Subject:Public Comment for HRC meeting today (4/3/24), Item 7a Attachments:City of SLO Public Comment 04-03-24.pdf This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Hello – please see attached public comment for item 7a of today’s Human Relations Commission’s meeting. I’m copying the text here in this email below as well: Thank you, Donna Donna Jones Executive Director (805) 543-5140 main (805) 548-0796 direct donna@slolaf.org www.slolaf.org April 3, 2024 To: City of San Luis Obispo, Human Relations Commission From: Donna Jones, Executive Director, San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation Re: Public Comment for HRC meeting 4/3/24, item 7a Human Relations Committee, Thank you for providing funding to the non-profit organizations of SLO County through the Human Services Grant. San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation (SLOLAF) has been the recipient of grant funding through the City of SLO for many years. I’m submitting public comment because I have reviewed the recommendations for funding for FY24-25 and see that no funding has been allocated for SLOLAF’s Senior Legal Service program. I am respectfully asking the commission to reconsider and add SLOLAF to your recommended funding. SLOLAF is a non-profit law firm that provides free legal services to SLO County residents in need, specifically, low-income community members who have real legal problems and cannot afford the legal services they need. In 2023, SLOLAF worked on over 800 legal cases in its Civil Law Services department alone, for a total of almost 8,000 hours. 25-30% of our clients are SLO City residents. The work that SLOLAF does on behalf of 1 indigent residents of SLO City addresses not only the commission’s first grant priority of homelessness prevention, but also a secondary priority of working with seniors. SLOLAF is the only organization in the county with a program specifically designed to provide legal assistance to seniors, with the goal of keeping them housed, safe, and independent for as long as possible. In 2023, seniors made up 57% of SLOLAF’s clients, with 55% of their cases related to homelessness prevention. That’s over 250 cases county-wide, which means the number of residents affected is even higher as not all live alone. These are not open & shut cases – they require many hours of work. SLOLAF assists seniors with eviction defense when they are being illegally evicted and helps them negotiate for more time to find suitable housing when the eviction is valid, both so they do not end up homeless. When a landlord refuses to provide the necessary repairs to ensure a safe home, SLOLAF advocates for the senior tenant. If a senior is being made to leave their care facility for funding reasons and has nowhere to go, SLOLAF assists the Long Term Care Ombudsman to keep them housed. If a senior is being denied Section 8 benefits, SLOLAF assists them to keep them housed. We advocate for seniors having government benefits issues, knowing that stable income means they will be able to pay their rent. The theme is clear – SLOLAF’s work with seniors is largely for homelessness prevention. I can’t imagine many things worse than our city’s seniors being homeless on the street, and funding from the City of SLO can help alleviate this potential. This pending lack of support from the City of SLO for our Senior Legal Services program is very disheartening. With limited amounts of funding available to SLOLAF to use for homelessness prevention for all ages and rising costs of wages and services, every dollar of funding is crucial to avoid cutting services to students, seniors, and other low-income community members. SLOLAF is also now in a potentially awkward place with the cornerstone funder for our Senior Legal Services program, Area Agency on Aging, as the City of SLO’s funding has traditionally been used to help satisfy our matching funds from local governments requirement. Thank you for your consideration. SLOLAF fully recognizes that there is a very small pool of funding and the commission had to sort through many applicants, and that we are not alone. In the future, for the sake of all of the non-profits trying to address the commission’s priorities, I ask that you consider setting aside a larger pool of funding for the important work we all do to ensure the well-being of the City of SLO and its residents. Thank you again. 2 Providing Access to justice since 1992 3232 South Higuera Street, Suite 101D, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Phone: (805) 543-5140 www.slolaf.org April 3, 2024 To: City of San Luis Obispo, Human Relations Commission From: Donna Jones, Executive Director, San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation Re: Public Comment for HRC meeting 4/3/24, item 7a Human Relations Committee, Thank you for providing funding to the non-profit organizations of SLO County through the Human Services Grant. San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation (SLOLAF) has been the recipient of grant funding through the City of SLO for many years. I’m submitting public comment because I have reviewed the recommendations for funding for FY24-25 and see that no funding has been allocated for SLOLAF’s Senior Legal Service program. I am respectfully asking the commission to reconsider and add SLOLAF to your recommended funding. SLOLAF is a non-profit law firm that provides free legal services to SLO County residents in need, specifically, low-income community members who have real legal problems and cannot afford the legal services they need. In 2023, SLOLAF worked on over 800 legal cases in its Civil Law Services department alone, for a total of almost 8,000 hours. 25-30% of our clients are SLO City residents. The work that SLOLAF does on behalf of indigent residents of SLO City addresses not only the commission’s first grant priority of homelessness prevention, but also a secondary priority of working with seniors. SLOLAF is the only organization in the county with a program specifically designed to provide legal assistance to seniors, with the goal of keeping them housed, safe, and independent for as long as possible. In 2023, seniors made up 57% of SLOLAF’s clients, with 55% of their cases related to homelessness prevention. That’s over 250 cases county-wide, which means the number of residents affected is even higher as not all live alone. These are not open & shut cases – they require many hours of work. SLOLAF assists seniors with eviction defense when they are being illegally evicted and helps them negotiate for more time to find suitable housing when the eviction is valid, both so they do not end up homeless. When a landlord refuses to provide the necessary repairs to ensure a safe home, SLOLAF advocates for the senior tenant. If a senior is being made to leave their care facility for funding reasons and has nowhere to go, SLOLAF assists the Long Term Care Ombudsman to keep them housed. If a senior is being denied Section 8 benefits, SLOLAF assists them to keep them housed. We advocate for seniors having government benefits issues, knowing that stable income means they will be able to pay their rent. The theme is obvious – SLOLAF’s work with seniors is largely for homelessness prevention. I can’t imagine many things worse than our city’s seniors being homeless on the street, and funding from the City of SLO can help alleviate this potential. This pending lack of support from the City of SLO for our Senior Legal Services program is very disheartening. With limited amounts of funding available to SLOLAF to use for homelessness prevention for all ages and rising costs of wages and services, every dollar of funding is crucial Providing Access to justice since 1992 3232 South Higuera Street, Suite 101D, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Phone: (805) 543-5140 www.slolaf.org to avoid cutting services to students, seniors, and other low-income community members. SLOLAF is also now in a potentially awkward place with the cornerstone funder for our Senior Legal Services program, Area Agency on Aging, as the City of SLO’s funding has traditionally been used to help satisfy our matching funds from local governments requirement. Thank you for your consideration. SLOLAF fully recognizes that there is a very small pool of funding and the commission had to sort through many applicants, and that we are not alone. In the future, for the sake of all of the non-profits trying to address the commission’s priorities, I ask that you consider setting aside a larger pool of funding for the important work we all do to ensure the well-being of the City of SLO and its residents. Thank you again.