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Who is CRLA?
⚫ CRLA is a non-profit law firm founded in 1966 ⚫ CRLA provides legal services at no cost to
qualifying low-income individuals residing in
- ver 20 California counties, including
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. February 25, 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. February 25, 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. February 25, 2019 www.crla.org California Healthy Housing Coalition Who is CRLA? CRLA is a non-profit law firm founded in 1966 CRLA provides legal services at no cost to qualifying low-income
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Our Work
⚫ Our office conducts advocacy, litigation,
- utreach and legal education on the most
pressing issues facing low income communities:
– Education – Employment – Health and Human well being – Housing – LGBT Rights
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Housing
⚫ We provide education,
advocacy, and litigation services to tenants facing various issues including:
– Evictions – Sub-standard
housing/Habitability
– Fair housing/Housing
discrimination
– Foreclosure of rental
properties
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Housing
⚫ Priority Areas:
–
Tenants in subsidized housing
–
Mobilehome/RV park residents
–
Employer-provided housing
–
Residential hotels
–
Tenants in foreclosed properties
–
Some fair housing issues
⚫ All Other Issues
–
Workshops
–
Self-help packets
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Community Equity Initiative
⚫ CEI works with
unincorporated communities to address:
– Lack of clean drinking water – Sewer systems – Safe parks and roads – Public transportation – Leadership development – Housing Element advocacy
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Stanislaus County
Where is it?
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Stanislaus County
By the (estimated) numbers
⚫ 547,000 people in the county
– vs. 10 million in LA county
⚫ 214,000 people in Modesto
– vs. 4 million in the city of Los Angeles
⚫ 16% of the population below the poverty line
– vs. 17.9% in Los Angeles county
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Stanislaus County
“A rural area with urban problems”
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Stanislaus County
“A rural area with urban problems”
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Common Habitability Issues
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Common Habitability Issues
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Common Habitability Issues
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Common Habitability Issues
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Common Habitability Issues
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Tenant Protections in Modesto
⚫ Landlord cannot retaliate within 180 days of
protected action by tenant (statewide rule)
⚫ No good cause requirement to evict (except
certain subsidized housing)
– vs. LA—must have good cause to evict if
protected by the RSO
⚫ Theoretical relocation benefits up to 2x fair
market rent
– vs. $20,000 in LA for RSO properties
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Tenant Options:
Repair and Deduct
⚫ Tenant must do the work themselves or hire
- thers to do work
⚫ Must give reasonable notice to landlord ⚫ Repair must cost no more than one month’s
rent
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Tenant Options:
Withhold Rent
⚫ Tenant acting on own—very risky
– vs. LA’s Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP)
⚫ Tenant ideally should give notice to landlord ⚫ Landlord files eviction ⚫ Court decides how much property is worth ⚫ If tenant wins, tenant must pay any extra
amount withheld within 5 days
⚫ If tenant loses, tenant is evicted
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Tenant Options:
Code Enforcement Complaint
⚫ Risk of being red tagged
– Process differs by jurisdiction
⚫ Risk of landlord retaliation
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Tenant Options:
Small Claims
⚫ Neither side can have attorney in court ⚫ $10,000 limit ⚫ Must collect judgment ⚫ No injunctive relief
– Court cannot order repairs
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Tenant Options:
Affirmative Litigation
⚫ Can ask for injunctive relief ⚫ Can ask for property to be managed by a
receiver
⚫ Can take 1-5 years (or more) ⚫ Very difficult to do without an attorney
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What can advocates do?
⚫ Tenant organizing ⚫ Legislative advocacy ⚫ Coordinate with other agencies ⚫ Help document
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