LASP 20+ Fête for Justice | Thursday, May 19, 2022
THANK YOU to all honorees and designees, sponsors, donors, attendees, staff, committee members and volunteers who supported LASP's 20+ Fête for Justice.
The skies cleared, and the celebration was truly memorable thanks to each of you.
We heard thought-provoking remarks from Keynote Speaker Reuben Jonathan Miller, sociologist, University of Chicago assistant professor and author of "Halfway Home: Race, Punishment and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration," and heard healing words of verse from Trapeta B. Mayson, 2020-21 Philadelphia Poet Laureate. Entertainment was provided by V. Shayne Frederick and the Charles Baldwin Experience.
Enjoy these sneak peek photos by Tyler Boye Photography. More photos to follow!
THANK YOU for supporting this first-ever LASP celebration! LASP20.org | lasp.org/fete
HURRICANE IDA RESOURCES
LASP is helping low-income survivors of Hurricane Ida in Pennsylvania with FEMA denials and more. Call 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., or leave a message. See lasp.org/hurricane-ida for more legal issues where LASP may be able to help, plus links to local, state and federal resources.
Federal disaster declaration: Bedford, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and York counties are part of the federal disaster declaration made in September 2021.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:
LASP continues to serve clients and accept new clients during COVID-19!
(UPDATED AUG. 27, 2021) Renters, APPLY NOW for help! Funds are available in Pennsylvania + Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties + Norristown: bit.ly/rent-utility-help.
LASP's Helpline hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday-Friday. Our new phone system allows more calls to be answered at one time, while allowing paralegals and attorneys to meet COVID-19 safety guidelines. Call the Helpline at 877-429-5994 or start an online application 24/7 at lasp.org/apply.
Information and downloadable flyers in English and Spanish at: lasp.org/being-evicted
To apply for help with a civil legal aid problem, call our Helpline: 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Or apply online 24/7.
HELPLINE HOURS Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (effective March 15, 2021). A new phone system allows LASP Helpline paralegals and attorneys to answer more calls at once, while staying socially distanced to meet COVID-19 guidelines. The schedule is a return to longtime Helpline hours and is expected to provide shorter wait times for callers.
Phones at all local LASP offices are being answered or checked during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. (However, local offices are currently closed to the public due to COVID-19 guidelines.)
Free legal outreach: virtual, in-person and hybrid: lasp.org/events.
Walk-in intake is temporarily canceled at all offices and outreach locations.
Email or call your attorney if you have questions about your case. When advocates are working remotely, voicemail is being checked.
Scroll down for more LASP resources on legal issues related to COVID-19.
Services
Family Law
Child custody, dependency
Elder Law
Consumer
Bankruptcy, debt collection & more
Am I eligible for services?
Eligibility is determined by your monthly income, your current assets, your family size, the type of legal problem you have, where you reside, and certain other factors. Applicants must meet financial and asset guidelines to be eligible for services in most cases.
In response to systemic racism: A letter from Shawn Boehringer, Executive Director, and Kesha James, Deputy Director for Advocacy
June 25, 2020
In Response to Systemic Racism
Letter from Shawn Boehringer, Executive Director, and Kesha James, Deputy Director for Advocacy
To read the letter, which was published in LASP’s June 2020 e-news, please see lasp.org/news.
PA Legal Aid Network (PLAN)’s full Call to Action on Systemic Racism, issued on June 2, 2020, is also at lasp.org/news.
LASP outreach events are free. Some are all-virtual, while others are in-person, or hybrid (your choice: virtual or in-person). Check event listing carefully. lasp.org/events
Free legal workshops, clinics and outreach events: Know your rights!
Check lasp.org/events for free legal information events. In partnership with other local and regional nonprofits and state legislators, LASP attorneys discuss current legal topics, usually in about an hour:
Unemployment Compensation
Clean Slate, expungements and pardons
Foreclosures and evictions
Landlord-tenant law
Veterans benefits, discharge upgrades and more
Chester County Mobile Home Tax Reassessment Project
For organizations wishing to schedule a training with a LASP attorney, contact Kesha James, Deputy Director for Advocacy & Pro Bono Director, at kjames@lasp.org.
Legal Aid of Southeastern PA was founded Jan. 1, 2001 when four long-standing legal aid programs in Buck, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties joined forces. Join us to celebrate 20+ years as a regional program! Details: LASP20.org.
Celebrate LASP’s 20+ anniversary!
LASP 20+ Fête for Justice! 4 Freedoms, 4 Counties, 4 Justice!
We hope you will join us in celebrating LASP’s 20+ years serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Our first-ever gala celebration will be Thursday, May 19, 2022 from 6-10 p.m. at Normandy Farm, Blue Bell. Visit the event website for details!
Buy tickets before the price increase on April 19! LASP20.org (orange button on top right of the webpage)
Sponsorship opportunities are now available!
YOU make the difference in bringing access to justice in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
LASP’s Veterans Advocacy Project offers trauma-informed help geared to veterans’ needs.
Veterans Advocacy Helpline
New in November 2021: Check out the new Veterans page on our website for information on how LASP can help veterans. Links also are provided to other local, state and federal resources helpful to veterans. lasp.org/veterans
Veterans in Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties can call LASP’s new Veterans Advocacy Helpline at 610-283-0884.
In addition, LASP’s Regional Helpline at 877-429-5994 is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., or apply online 24/7 at lasp.org/apply.
Join our pro bono program and make a difference in YOUR community!
Pro bono opportunities for attorneys, paralegals, law students
YOU can directly expand access to justice. Volunteer to help Legal Aid of Southeastern PA clients.
Learn more: lasp.org/pro-bono. LASP has volunteer opportunities in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, reflecting each county’s needs. Free trainings are available to give you the confidence and information you take a case outside your regular practice area; contact a pro bono coordinator for more information.
THANK YOU, pro bono volunteers, for your dedicated service in all four counties, throughout the year!
Click to read current and past issues of e-news.
Monthly e-news
LASP’s informative e-newsletter is published 11-12 times per year.
Sign up to receive e-news in your inbox!
Current issue and archive: lasp.org/enews
Swallowtail butterfly on butterfly bush
Check out resource pages in some of our practice areas
Domestic Violence
LASP helps with Protection from Abuse orders and domestic violence in Pennsylvania. Learn how to apply for help in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties and find additional resources at lasp.org/domestic-violence.
Expungements, Clean Slate (limited access) and Pardons
Record-clearing paves the way for improved job opportunities and increased access to education and housing.
Legal Aid of Southeastern PA is helping people clear their records in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Our Community Engagement Unit may be able to help you with:
Expungements
Clean Slate (limited access to records)
Pardons
LASP’s new webpage, lasp.org/expungements, gives information and resources to help you start the process in clearing your record through Pennsylvania’s expungement, Clean Slate or pardon process.
Housing
LASP is helping people in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties who face the threat of eviction, mortgage foreclosure, and/or other housing problems.
Renters and homeowners in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties can contact the LASP Helpline at 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The sooner you contact LASP, the more prepared your case will be for the hearing date.
Landlord-tenant
Eviction
Habitability (needs repairs in order to be safe to live in)
Public or subsidized housing
Rent-to-own
Homeownership
Mortgage foreclosure
Section 8 housing
Reverse mortgages
Tangled title
New: Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program through the Pennsylvania Dept. of Revenue
APPLY NOW! Help for renters is available in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Visit our website news page at https://bit.ly/rent-utility-help, or lasp.org/news, provides links and application information for the Bucks Emergency Rental Assistance (BERA) program, the Chester County Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program, Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), and the Montgomery County Emergency Rent and Utility Coalition (ERUC).
As of January 2022, all of the programs have current funding to help renters get caught up on payments - and the money goes directly to landlords in most cases.
Public Benefits
Legal Aid of Southeastern PA helps clients gain access to public benefits that may have been denied. We may be able to help with:
(NEW) LASP SSI Initiative helps with Social Security applications (January 2022)
(NEW) Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) (January 2022)
Hurricane Ida: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denials in Pennsylvania
Child Tax Credit
Unemployment Compensation (UC)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, or cash assistance)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps)
Medical Assistance (Medicaid)
Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Includes 2021-22 LASP flyer for how to apply for LIHEAP in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
and more
Veterans
LASP can help veterans with:
VA benefits (including: initial applications and appeals, survivor’s benefits, and overpayments)
Military discharge upgrades
All of our other civil legal aid service areas
Visit lasp.org/veterans for more details and for potentially helpful local, state and federal resources.
LASP in the news
"NAACP forum offers help with rental assistance programs"
by Evan Brandt
Pottstown Mercury | Aug. 20 | bit.ly/3DcbMyY
Lansdale Reporter | Aug. 22 | Front page Sunday edition
Norristown Times-Herald | Aug. 22 | bit.ly/3AXSgo2
Brandt's blog post, "Digital Notebook," incudes additional information for renters: bit.ly/3B88ds1.
"Southeast Pa. counties fight for eviction protections"
by Katie Meyer | WHYY News | Aug. 10, 2021 | bit.ly/2VNE7L3
Excerpt: "Bucks County officials are urging other counties to make use of a legal ruling they recently won, & pause eviction proceedings for the thousands of Pennsylvanians who are vulnerable to being thrown out of their homes."
"Southeast Pa. counties lead in solving ‘maddening’ lapse in eviction protections"
by Katie Meyer | WITF | Aug. 11, 2021 | bit.ly/3iFQm5p
"What renters in Pa. need to know about available relief, the new eviction ban: Pennsylvania has more than $1 billion in rental aid available to people who have fallen behind because of the pandemic"
by Charlotte Keith | Spotlight PA & Philadelphia Inquirer | Aug. 11, 2021 | bit.ly/3sdbHWN
"Program Has Paid $9.2 Million To Bucks County Landlords, Utilities"
by Tom Sofield | LevittownNow.com | Aug. 11, 2021 | bit.ly/3xJe3hg
Guest Column: "Re-entry, resetting and redemption--Not just any pardon clinic"
by Stacey Mandel | Delaware County Daily Times | Aug. 7, 2021
"High court gives Pa. county OK to delay eviction cases while tenants wait for rental relief"
by Charlotte Keith
Spotlight PA | Aug. 4, 2021 | bit.ly/2TUKgnV
PennLive | Aug. 3, 2021 | bit.ly/3yrVPC0
"Spotlight PA: Thousands still awaiting rental relief as eviction ban fizzles out"
by Charlotte Keith | Williamsport Sun-Gazette | Aug. 2, 2021 | bit.ly/3gORDpm
"Pa Supreme Court greenlights Bucks County eviction stay program"
by Jo Ciavaglia | Bucks County Courier Times | Aug. 2, 2021 | bit.ly/3xshxos
Excerpt: Bucks County can continue an administrative order granting temporary stay on some evictions for nonpayment of rent.
"PA Supreme Court Greenlights County Court Order To Reduce Evictions"
by Tom Sofield | LevittownNow.com | Aug. 2, 2021 | bit.ly/3xny1y1
Chester County officials offer assistance to those facing eviction
by Bill Rettew | West Chester Daily Local News | Jan. 13, 2021: bit.ly/Evictions_DailyLocal-1-13-2021
Chester County Officials Offer Assistance to Those Facing Eviction
Patch.com | Jan. 11, 2021: bit.ly/3ipRecD
Multiple legal aid attorneys across the state, including LASP's Christina Drzal, Regional Housing Supervising Attorney, discuss implementation of the CDC moratorium in Pennsylvania.
Spotlight PA story by Charlotte Keith
Philadelphia Inquirer, Page 1 | Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 | bit.ly/35RBvNs
PennLive | Nov. 2, 2020 | bit.ly/34QB3jf
LevittownNow.com | Nov. 3, 2020 | bit.ly/3p0kLwh
(Note: Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom and is a partnership between the Philadelphia Inquirer, PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media.)
Legal Aid of Southeastern PA offers support for a variety of clients
Lansdale Reporter story by Gary Puleo: bit.ly/2ZBgzZ1 | Sunday, July 19, 2020
2020 Chester County Mobile Home Tax Assessment Project
VISTA.Today article: bit.ly/2BtpkuQ | June 21, 2020
Legal aid won't halt during COVID-19 outbreak
Times-Herald story by Carl Hessler Jr.: bit.ly/2WrDVzf | March 19, 2020
Legal Aid can help with issues due to stay-at-home order
Times-Herald and Lansdale Reporter story by Gary Puleo: bit.ly/3asyxA4 | March 27, 2020
Mobile homes are overtaxed, and Chester County program brings relief
Philadelphia Inquirer story by Michaelle Bond: bit.ly/2STzkUF | Jan. 4, 2020