July 2024 - Alachua County Project Spotlight

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Welcome Note

As we move into the summer and the year ahead, we are excited to collaborate with our Eviction Prevention team to enhance our housing coverage. Our combined efforts will cover both fair housing and eviction prevention. To recap, our Fair Housing Project is dedicated to promoting equal housing opportunities and addressing discrimination throughout north-central Florida. Meanwhile, our Eviction Prevention Project offers legal assistance to renters in Alachua County, who are facing eviction or other legal issues, with the goal of keeping them stably housed. Together, these initiatives will strengthen our commitment to supporting both fair housing and housing stability.

Housing in the News

Did You Know…

  • Recent Supreme Court decisions have significantly influenced laws and policies surrounding panhandling and the unhoused. Most notably in Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, the Court, in a 6-3 majority opinion, determined that outlawing and enforcing punitive measures in order to regulate sleeping or camping in public spaces is not a violation of the 8th Amendment prohibition on Cruel and Unusual punishment.

  • This ruling opens the door for local and state laws to attend to the issue of housing with more of a ‘get rid of it’ rather than ‘solve it’ approach.

  • By punishing those who have no alternative but to sleep in public spaces, cities are deflecting the problem onto other cities who do not have such laws in place. Ultimately, it’s not a solution, but a reaction in the name of aesthetics rather than meaningful change.


So What Does It All Mean?

  • For Florida, this means we need to take a closer look at our policies on homelessness. Cities should find a balance between enforcing laws and offering support to those in need. It's important to create policies that tackle the root causes of homelessness and protect people's rights, without making the problem worse by punishing those who are already struggling.

  • Additionally, Florida is unique in that it continues to attract new residents everyday. The attraction of mild winters translates into what used to be small towns, have now grown into 100K+ communities. Without proper urban planning and infrastructure, as towns grow and low income families get pushed out, they have little access to the jobs and resources that used to be down the street.

  • What does this all add up to? Higher economic thresholds for living and former residents now stranded in what used to be their hometowns. Rising rents across the state are making it so that long term tenants are having their leases non-renewed and are forced to find housing elsewhere or face eviction.

What Can We Do?

  • At Florida Legal Services, our Alachua County Eviction Prevention Team works hard to keep families in their homes and prevent homelessness. We provide free legal advice  to tenants facing housing issues and make sure they know their rights. Through our Alachua County Helpline, our team can provide legal advice to Alachua County residents with questions about public benefit applications or appeals, child support enforcement and modification, employment legal matters, and other legal questions. By providing these free legal services, we help Alachua County clients stay financially secure and therefore maintain stable housing. ALACHUA COUNTY HELPLINE: 888-780-0443

  • Additionally, our Fair Housing project operates in 15 north-central Florida counties, helping residents to better understand their rights and protections against housing discrimination.

Community Outreach

Upcoming Outreach Events

What We’ve Been Up To

Alachua County Eviction Prevention Helpline - CALL: 888-780-0443
This helpline aimed at serving Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) recipients and other members of the Alachua community is up and running! Helpline operators are accepting phone calls regarding housing, landlord-tenant issues, child support, or any other legal issue faced by low-income Alachua County Residents. Callers will be connected with an attorney who can provide legal assistance over the phone and in some cases, direct legal representation. 

Tenants’ Rights Workshops - The Alachua County Eviction Prevention team is hosting FREE monthly workshops “Know Your Rights As A Renter” at public locations throughout the county. Last month was held  Saturday, July 27, from 12p-2p at the Alachua County Public Headquarter Library Branch. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear advice and ask questions of experienced housing attorneys.  EMAIL TO JOIN MAILING LIST FOR UPCOMING FREE LEGAL CLINIC!  


Alachua County Disability Awareness Expo -For July Disability Awareness month, the Eviction Prevention team represented Florida Legal Services at the Alachua County Disability Awareness Expo. During the event, we provided valuable information on legal resources specifically designed for people with disabilities. Our team shared details about our eviction prevention helpline, highlighting how we offer free legal advice and, in some circumstances, legal representation for low-income residents in Alachua County. 

National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) Conference

The Fair Housing team started off the new grant year attending the NFHA Conference in Washington,D.C. It was a great three days of sharing Fair Housing updates that got us started strong this new year. Great speakers and break out sessions as always!

Flagler Open Arms Recovery Service (OARS): Florida Legal Services Fair Housing Project Manager Joseph Cordova was asked to speak to the OARS/WARM program, a collection of dedicated women aiming to get their lives back on track through sobriety and determination. The presentation was a combination of ‘Career Day’ discussion and Fair Housing Resources information. However, the afternoon went by so fast as the conversation was lively and the attendees were very sharp and asked all the right questions. We look forward to going back!

Tri County Back to School

Big time for back to school events as the start of a new school year quickly approaches! We kicked off our back to school efforts with a great event with over 300 families in Chiefland at the end of the month. We got to share our new outreach materials and talk to families about their rights and protections under the Fair Housing Act.

 

The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) protects you from discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. This applies to renting, buying, mortgages, appraisals, insurance, and looking for a place to live.

 
 

IF YOU THINK YOU’VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT:
407-801- 4224
850-680-1729 (Spanish)
fairhousing@floridalegal.org
www.floridalegal.org/fairhousing

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.

 
Joseph Cordova