Fair Housing

“Jonathan” was displaced from his home after it was destroyed in a fire. Through his insurance, his family was placed in an apartment complex while they decide whether to rebuild or move. Jonathan has physical disabilities, including quadriplegia, so he needed a number of modifications to the new apartment, including a keyless entry door lock, a Wi-Fi-capable thermostat, and a door handle to replace the knob on his back patio door. Unfortunately, he and his wife were unable to get permission from the property management to make the necessary modifications to the apartment. 

“Arturo,” who had stage 4 mesothelioma, came to JALA facing a foreclosure of his deceased mother's home. He was able to afford the mortgage payments, but first he needed to get the title to be transferred to his name. JALA attorney Carol Miller stepped in to handle probate on Arturo’s mother’s estate.  

“Josie,” who lives in an apartment with her 4-year-old son, sought help from JALA after experiencing repeated problems with her apartment’s air conditioning unit. Josie’s son has multiple disabilities and is at risk if he becomes overheated. During the day in the summer, the temperature in her apartment would go above 85 degrees, forcing her and her son to leave until after 8 p.m. each day. Maintenance of the air conditioning unit is the responsibility of the property management, but the manager made only excuses and not the necessary repairs.

“Lashawn,” who participates in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, came to JALA for help when her rental home became uninhabitable and her property manager refused to allow her to break her lease so that she could relocate. The conditions in the home, which included holes in the floors that allowed rats to enter, were adversely affecting her health, which was already compromised by kidney disease requiring dialysis.

“Louise,” 80, lives with her son in an apartment partially subsidized with a Housing Choice Voucher. She and her son, who has a disability, both receive Social Security benefits, which they depend on to pay the rent. Because the rent is due by the 15th of each month and the Social Security checks do not arrive until the fourth Thursday of the month, Louise has struggled to pay the rent on time.