January 2025 - The Cold Winter and the Unhoused
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Welcome Note
Happy New Year to all of our partners!! We hope that this year brings continued progress in housing the unhoused and helping families maintain their stability and exercise their rights against housing discrimination. We've had a lot of changes to our program team lately and are excited to reconnect with all of you!!
The Cold Winter and the Unhoused
Did You Know…
Nearly 50% of individuals experiencing homelessness also live with some form of disability—whether physical, mental, intellectual, or developmental. As a result, people with disabilities are at a 2.5% higher risk of homelessness compared to the general population in the U.S.
In addition, only 14.7% of individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities are employed in the U.S., compared to 71.4% of adults without disabilities. Many people with intellectual disabilities struggle with communication, which not only makes it difficult to obtain a proper diagnosis but also hinders their ability to access necessary accommodations.
A combination of socioeconomic challenges, limited educational opportunities, and an environment that isn’t always accessible to people with disabilities contributes to a higher reliance on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, due to rising costs of living, SSI often isn’t sufficient to ensure safe and stable housing.
So What Does It All Mean?
For individuals with disabilities, securing housing can be even more challenging
They often face greater difficulties in education, employment, and building relationships within their communities, which makes finding housing even more elusive.
Additionally, the lack of research and data on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities further complicates efforts to address their unique needs.
What Can We Do?
As a society, we must dedicate more resources to ensuring people with disabilities have access to the proper accommodations. This includes ensuring individuals receive the education and support they need to thrive as they transition into adulthood.
We also need to increase awareness and education about disabilities, including understanding the different forms of communication that exist. This would help build a more inclusive and understanding society where everyone’s differences are respected.
It’s crucial for people to know their rights. Under the Fair Housing Act, people with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations and modifications, which may include things like grab bars, wider doors, emotional support animals, and adjusted rent due dates to align with SSI payments.
Community Outreach
Update! We’ve had some changes to our team since starting the new calendar year so we want to introduce you to our new Fair Housing Outreach Coordinator and our new Testing Coordinator.
Lola Arroyo-Mateo is our new Fair Housing Outreach Coordinator. Lola is a University of Florida graduate, earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. During undergrad, Lola researched the mental health effects of wrongful convictions on exonerees and their families. Since graduating, she worked as a victim advocate serving vulnerable populations and connecting them with vital resources. She has experience working with child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, and efforts to end human trafficking. Her passion for social justice continues to grow as she is committed to advocating for marginalized communities and the systemic changes necessary for long term impact and equity. Lola started with us this month so you’ll find her friendly face throughout our outreach efforts!
Lola can be reached at lola.arroyo@floridalegal.org and 407-706-4773 for any outreach events and presentations.
And our former Outreach Coordinator, Pia Molina, has moved on to become our new Testing Coordinator. Pia joined the Fair Housing team in June 2023 and is excited to step into this new role in familiar territory.If you’re interested in becoming a tester, feel free to apply here https://www.floridalegal.org/fh-testing.
Pia can be reached at pia.molina@floridalegal.org and 850-680-1729 with any questions about our testing program.
Upcoming Outreach Events
What We’ve Been Up To
New Home Buyers Class
Outreach Coordinator, Pia Molina, presented Fair Housing information at the NHDC Home Buyers Education seminar, which is offered monthly to help educate potential homebuyers on the process of buying a home and their rights under the Fair Housing Act.
Micanopy Community Fair
Pia, Lola, and Marissa were given the privilege of attending a community fair in Micanopy. It was a beautiful, and chilly, morning. There was a food drive and members of the community were welcome to gather information about dozens of services offered in their county. We were able to meet community partners from different organizations and share about our projects.
Gainesville Canvassing
Marissa and Lola met with a member from Connecting Kids to Coverage, another Florida Legal Service project, to canvas different areas of Gainesville and meet community partners. Among some of the places they visited were: the SWAG center, the Center for Independent Living, and some public libraries to share information on the different services their projects offer!
Hawthorne Farm Share Tabling
We are thankful to the Hawthorne community for allowing us to be a part of their farm share event, we were able to engage with members of the community and provide information on both the fair housing act and our eviction prevention program. It was a great way to volunteer and help individuals know their rights as it pertains to fair housing and the eviction process.
TKC Kreyol Community Health Fair
As part of our ongoing efforts to build connections and share information in multiple languages, Fair Housing Outreach Coordinator, Lola Arroyo drove to the TKC Kreyol community health fair. This event was spearheaded by the Kingdom Church in Orlando. There were many wonderful vendors, all offering services to the community, ranging from health care providers, wellness organizations, and insurance assistance. Lola met with members from the Immigrant and Migrant Rights Project, as well as members of the CKC (Connecting Kids to Coverage).
Homeless Continuum of Care Town Hall
On January 27th, members of the Fair Housing Team attended a town hall meeting to discuss the housing inequities we see in our community, what different organizations have done to address them, and share ideas for combatting homelessness.
Center for Independent Living Presentation
During this month’s Know Your Rights presentation, the Eviction Prevention team presented to the staff and patrons at the Center for Independent Living Greater to provide the community with information on tenant rights. We’d like to thank the CIL for hosting us and providing a space to share our free legal services to this community.
Flagler Cares Help Night
Another evening filled with brief legal consultations for the Palm Coast and Flagler County community! Always a treat to get to spend time with fellow advocates and our network of resources as we answer legal questions and advise families on their rights and protections.
Peaceful Paths Staff Training
The Eviction Prevention team also had the opportunity to provide a training workshop on tenant rights to the staff at Peaceful Paths. We were able to ensure the staff had the information needed to better support their survivors’ housing needs.
Alachua County Eviction Prevention Legal Clinic - If you have a housing or legal question that you would like to consult an attorney about, please join us SWAG Family Resource Center on February 19th from 9am-12pm, located at 807 SW 64th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607. You can speak to an attorney for FREE. The Eviction Prevention AND Fair Housing teams will also be at the Willie Mae Stokes Community Center on February 26th from 11am-1pm, located on 355 NW Eestalustee Ave, Micanopy, FL 32667., if you have any questions or concerns, stop by!
Tenants’ Rights Workshops - The Alachua County Eviction Prevention team is hosting FREE monthly legal clinics “Know Your Rights As A Renter” at public locations throughout the county. Join us this month February 1st from 12pm-2pm at Peaceful Paths, located on 2100 NW 53rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32653. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear advice and ask questions of experienced housing attorneys.
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 renters. Callers will be connected with an attorney who can provide legal assistance over the phone and in some cases, direct legal representation. EMAIL TO JOIN MAILING LIST FOR UPCOMING FREE LEGAL CLINIC!
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 (English)
850-680-1729 (Spanish)
fairhousing@floridalegal.org
www.floridalegal.org/fairhousing
IF YOU ARE AN ALACHUA COUNTY RESIDENT FACING BARRIERS TO HOUSING OR AN EVICTION, PLEASE CALL AND FOLLOW THE PROMPTS TO REACH A LIVE ALACHUA COUNTY OPERATOR:
888-780-0443 (English and Spanish)
www.floridalegal.org/evictionprevention
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.