Basic Information
Short Description
The program provides legal aid through housing assistance and education to low-income community members. Services include: mediation, education and legal advice.
Location
17 Counties in West Tennessee
Funding
LSC (Legal Services Corporation), Housing Counseling, CDBG and FHIP funds
Size (number of beneficiaries)
Over 1000
Stakeholders
Who runs and manages the program?
West Tennessee Legal Services: involves legal services and housing counseling staff
Who funds the program?
LSC, Housing Counseling, CDBG and FHIP funds
Intended Beneficiaries: Who does the program target?
Low-income individuals
Program Details
How does the program work? What are the typical paths of action that the beneficiary + the service-provider take?
The tenant completes and intake and is referred to the Housing Education and Assistance department. Once the department receives the referral, they complete an assessment of housing needs, specifically examining all cases of pending evictions for any legal defenses and evaluating all cases for possible fair housing violations.
If it has not proceeded to eviction yet, the staff advises the client on their rights and if necessary engage in negotiations with the housing provider to avoid judicial action against the client.
Evidence Base
What are the plans for monitoring and evaluation?
There are currently no plans for evaluation.
Have any evaluations been conducted so far?
N/a
Contact and Follow-Up Info
Program Website
Documentation + Links
Point of Contact for more information
Vanessa Bullock, Managing Attorney at vanessa [@] wtls.org
