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So.Co. Legal Aid is Here to Serve You

The 6th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States declares that anyone accused of violation of the law shall “have the assistance of counsel for his defense.” Many people think that access to a lawyer is reserved for the well to do, or limited to public defenders, but that’s not so.

Legal Aid of Sonoma County has served people for over 60 years. It serves over 5,000 people a year. Legal Aid offers free legal services for qualifying people. Mostly it serves low- and no-income people. To prove that you qualify you need to bring in documentation from means tested programs such as pay check stubs, benefits letters, EBT cards, SSI or Social Security letters describing your benefits, tax returns, bank statements or other proof of your income. If you are staying with a friend or family member or in a shelter a letter stating so will work. If you have domestic violence issues the need to document poverty is waived.

Legal Aid of Sonoma County has several focus areas headed by attorneys who specialize in each. They can help with housing, child abuse, domestic violence, elders’ needs, employment and health, disaster relief, medical legal partnership, small business equity and veterans’ needs. They triage clients, and deal with the person in need in a holistic manner, so that, for example, a veteran suffering both domestic violence and housing issues will have each of these areas supported legally by experts from each area. If your issue involves the law, it is important to provide, police reports, court papers and any pertinent legal papers.

On it’s website it has links to your rights. It has resources for tenants and landlords as well as a link to the law library.

It has ramped up services since the mass deportations began, including guardianship services so that if American-born children with foreign-born parents have their parents abducted by ICE, relatives or friends can assume temporary
guardianship over these minors.

In terms of housing, Legal Aid of Sonoma County served over 600 households last year. We have Just Cause eviction
protection in Petaluma and the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County. There are exceptions to these protections
so that all rental properties are not covered. Under Just Cause eviction protection landlords can still evict people if the landlord no longer wants to be a landlord, if he or she is moving a family member in, if your behaviors are a nuisance
or danger to other tenants, if you’re involved in illegal activities or if you engage in property damage.

Your best first line of defense is to establish and maintain a good relationship with your landlord or landlady. If that’s unlikely, then document all interactions with your landlord or landlady. Emails, letters or texts are time and date stamped. This can help your case. Your legal rights as a tenant start from the moment you’ve paid your landlady or landlord. In eviction cases Legal Aid of Sonoma County can help you negotiate a payment plan with your landlady or landlord so that everybody wins. It’s best to work things out instead of going to court. Very few landlords or landladies want empty rental units. 36 percent of the people in Sonoma County are renters. Nearly half the people in Santa Rosa are renters. Working collectively offers more protection to renters than doing it on your own. A good move would be to join the Sonoma County Tenants Union. Email or go to website.

There are also for a limited time Disaster Eviction Protection for people whose homes or means of income have been seriously affected by a disaster, such as floods along the lower Russian River area. If your failure to pay rent was due to a disaster then Legal Aid of Sonoma County may be able to help you. Your first step is to come into the office, with or without an appointment, at 144 SE Street #100 in Santa Rosa. You can call at (707) 542-1290. Check the website for hours of operation as well as the various areas of specialization so you can be fully prepared.

Poverty does not mean you do not have your right to legal representation. Learn more to protect yourself before housing disasters hit and you reduce all your belongings to what you can carry.

Sources: radioresistance20050309, legalaidsc.org, The Constitution of the United States of America.

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by Rebel Fagin

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