Message from 
It will be a long time before any of us forgets 2020.
While the year has been rough on all of us, it has been especially hard on the low-income population Jacksonville Area Legal Aid serves, many of whom were among the first to suffer the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sincerely, 
Jim Kowalski, President & CEO
JALA’s housing unit plays a crucial role during the pandemic With eviction filings having quickly resumed after the lifting of the statewide moratorium, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid has seen a 50% increase in requests for help with landlord-tenant matters over 2019 levels. Mary DeVries, division chief of JALA’s housing unit, said she’s hearing from people who are thousands of dollars in debt after suffering the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Having foreseen the surge in eviction filing, JALA last summer launched a new online tool to help Floridians create a legal response based initially on the state’s moratorium on evictions for nonpayment directly related to COVID-19, as well as the CARES Act, and later on the CDC eviction moratorium.
Domestic violence cases surge during pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a doubling of requests for help from domestic violence survivors, with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s staff handling nearly 300 domestic violence intakes through early December 2020, compared to 140 in all of 2019.
“There has definitely been an increase in survivors requesting family law assistance since the pandemic,” said Michelle Broyles, division chief of JALA’s Family Law & Victim Advocacy Unit. “On a normal day, survivors live in fear, but when there is a lock down, ‘safe at home’ is not safe for everyone. Lockdowns force survivors to stay in close quarters with their abusers.”
Broyles said it’s also more difficult for survivors to reach out for help when they have nowhere to go to have a private phone conversation with a victim advocate, shelter, help center, police, or an attorney. She’s even heard an abuser in the background demanding to know who was on the other end of the line, which required quick thinking on her part and that of the caller.
Missy Davenport A Special Thanks to Our Pro Bono Attorneys
The theme of 2020 for our pro bono program was adaptation, as we pivoted from in-person clinics and outreach events to virtual ones.
Throughout, our loyal pro bono attorneys adapted right along with us, quickly adjusting to a new way of offering their services.
We would like to give a special thanks to our lawyer volunteers for continuing to give of their time over the course of the pandemic.
We are especially grateful for the continued support of our Eviction Defense Self Help Project volunteers. Thanks to them, we have not missed a week of offering this vital clinic, as these dedicated pro bono attorneys immediately switched to offering services over the telephone.
To all of our pro bono attorneys, thank you for the many ways you have touched the lives of our less fortunate neighbors, particularly throughout this most difficult year.
We regret that circumstances prevented us from gathering for our traditional celebration of service, the Robert J. Beckham Equal Justice Awards. We look forward to the day when we can see you all in person again and celebrate you at the next Equal Justice Awards.
JALA in the News
|
