Executive Director’s Message/State of LAFLA

These are some of the toughest economic times many of us have witnessed in decades. News articles in the Daily Journal, Los Angeles Times, California Lawyer and others chronicle the loss of nonprofit funding and the struggles of many legal aid organizations across the country, as well as the staff reductions many law firms are going through at this time. I want to know, how are you doing? What, if anything, we can do to help? You, our supporters, are vital to our work, and as the economy affects every segment of our society, I am ever mindful that your health (economic and otherwise) and the health of your organizations and firms matter to us. Yes, because you are our supporters, but more importantly because you are our colleagues, our mentors, our friends. We are all in this together and we will get through these difficult times together. Like most of our colleagues, LAFLA is seeing an increase in clients, while unable to add staff. We have seen a 30 percent increase in people seeking general relief funds.

Over half of renters in the county live in unaffordable housing, defined by HUD as anyone who pays more than 30 percent of their income on rent. However, many people are experiencing extreme rent burden —spending 50 percent or more of their income on rent. Many of these renters are now facing foreclosure of the homes and apartment building they live in and are ending up in homeless shelters. Many have asked, "How is LAFLA doing?" The loss of IOLTA funding affects each organization differently. For LAFLA, though, we will see a 10 percent decrease in funds in 2009 and possibly up to 50 percent in 2010. In addition to these losses, many foundations have seen a drop in their endowments, therefore reducing their grants to nonprofits such as LAFLA. To anticipate these losses, we have budgeted conservatively for 2009 and are already planning ahead to 2010. As we approach our 2009 fundraising event season: Law Firm Campaign, Grand Gru Wine Tasting Event & Access to Justice Dinner, we will need your support to meet our financial goals. Now more than ever poor and low-income families depend on LAFLA's services. Thank you for helping us to meet their needs.

Silvia Argueta, Interim Executive Director

articles

Housing Unit, Partners Win Rights & Settlement for Residential Hotel Residents

Low-income tenants and those living with disabilities at the century old Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles negotiated a broad-sweeping case settlement in their lawsuit filed in December, 2007. These tenants suffered the worst abuses: unlawful displacement and shutoffs of heat, water and elevator service. LAFLA attorneys Barbara Schultz, Fernando Gaytan, and Managing Attorney Christian Abasto, were instrumental in winning the case and thank their partners McDermott Will & Emery LLP, the Disability Rights Legal Center and the Western Center on Law and Poverty for their hard work and commitment to this case during the past year.

Defendants in the lawsuit included Alexandria Housing Partners (AHP), Logan Property Management, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) and the City of Los Angeles. The plaintiffs were six current and four former residents of hotel, and one organizational plaintiff, Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), a California non-profit corporation serving low-income and homeless residents in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles.

On December 20, 2007, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, LAFLA, the Disability Rights Legal Center, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty filed the original lawsuit, Woods, et al. v. Alexandria Housing Partners, L.P. et al., United States District Court of the Central District of California Case No. CV07-08262 MMM (JWJx). The lawsuit sought to redress violations of the tenants’ rights that occurred during the rehabilitation of the Alexandria Hotel. These included gross violations of civil rights, disability discrimination, community redevelopment, relocation, and housing condition laws. The plaintiffs then filed a Second Amended Complaint on or about July 31, 2008.

“This settlement is a great victory for all Alexandria Hotel tenants who were subjected to cruel and illegal practices, as well as being ignored and discredited by City officials at many levels. This victory illustrates what is possible when dedicated and organized tenants, public interest and pro bono lawyers and community-based organizations join forces for justice,” said Becky Dennison, Co-Director of LA CAN, the organizational plaintiff. Read full press release.

Associates Advisory Board
Launches Activities to Support LAFLA

LAFLA’s Associates Advisory Board (AAB) is off to another great start in 2009.  On January 31, the Board hosted a second training session with LAFLA immigration attorneys Shelia Neville and Susana Martinez to help AAB members take on more cases through the Foundation’s Victims of Crime Immigration Clinic. Since 2007 AAB members have been working with LAFLA to file more than a dozen petitions for immigration benefits through the clinic. In March, AAB will conclude its 2008-2009 Associates Campaign. The proceeds of this year’s campaign are intended to sustain and expand LAFLA’s Bill Smith Homeless Veterans Project. Finally, the Board has begun making preparations for its annual AAB Fab Summer Event in June. Please stay tuned for a date and more details about this exciting event. For more information and a complete listing of the AAB, please visit www.lafla.org/support/assoc.asp.

Immigration Unit Partners with U.S. Attorneys to Prosecute Human Traffickers

A federal jury in Los Angeles on February 11, 2009 returned a guilty verdict against five members of an organized crime family who brought young Central American girls and women to the U.S. and forced them to engage in prostitution in the Los Angeles area. The jury's verdict will result in prison sentences of a mandatory minimum of 15 years for four of the defendants, and up to life imprisonment for all five of the defendants. Four co-defendants had previously entered guilty pleas prior to the trial. LAFLA attorneys Sheila Neville, Daliah Setareh and Susanna Martinez worked with the women by accompanying them to their multiple prep interviews with the Assisted United States Attorney's Office; filing motions on their behalf with the court (to protect identity, explain immigration benefits for victims, etc), and being present for their testimony in court.

They also worked with the young women to stabilize them and to vindicate their legal rights following their rescue. The results of this six-week trial were built on years of teamwork in victim services, thorough investigation, and hard-fought litigation. Because of the tireless efforts of the dozens of dedicated individuals, the young women and girls exploited by these sex traffickers have had their freedom restored, and the sex traffickers have been decisively brought to justice and prevented from victimizing others.

Grand Cru Wine Tasting Event
Offers Sponsorship Opportunities

The Long Beach Grand Cru Public Tasting is the most fun and festive wine and food tasting event of its kind in Southern California! The 2009 Grand Cru, to be held on August 22 at Rainbow Lagoon Park in downtown Long Beach, offers Sponsorship Levels for every budget: Title--$25,000 ( exclusive), Presenting--$10,000, Sweepstakes--$5,000, Gold--$3,500, Silver--$2,500 and Bronze--$1,800. Sponsorship is a socially responsible marketing investment providing name recognition, advertising, promotional and public relations benefits as well as networking opportunities and a fabulous experience! All proceeds from the event benefit LAFLA and our Long Beach community office, so you can lift your spirits and indulge while supporting a worthy cause.

We invite you to learn more about the Grand Cru by joining us for a pre-event Sponsor Party on Wednesday, April 22 at 6 PM at the Reef Restaurant in Long Beach. Come and and enjoy competition wines and delectable appetizers, meet the people behind the Grand Cru, and learn how you and your company can become a sponsor of this fantastic event. Please RSVP by April 10 to Ludmila Montoya, (213) 640-3894 or e-mail lmontoya@lafla.org.

Consumer Law Attorneys
Provide Critical Foreclosure Training

On February 25, LAFLA attorneys William Flanagan and Ana Storey, and former LAFLA attorney Maeve Elise Brown of Housing and Economics Rights Advocates in Oakland, conducted a foreclosure training session for legal services attorneys and self help center court staff at the Legal Aid Association of California's Family Law Conference in San Francisco. The presentation explained the California foreclosure default process; addressed loss mitigation options; and provided referrals and resources for further help and information. Using one rich fact pattern, attorneys were provided with the opportunity to apply known family law concepts to newly learned consumer law concepts.

LAFLA Participates on
Women & Violence Panel at USC

Nancy Reyes-Rubi, one of LAFLA’s Immigration Law Unit attorneys was one of four panelists invited to speak at USC's Annual program titled "Women and Violence in a Diverse Community" held at the Radisson Hotel in Los Angeles. The other panelists included the Rev. Cecil Murray, Professor of Religion and former pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church; Dr. Colleen Friend of Cal State University of Los Angeles’ Child Abuse & Family Violence Institute; and Heather Moore from the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking. The panelists discussed human trafficking, partner violence, family/child abuse, refugee & displaced women, and the differences between ethnic/cultural roles & values in the U.S.

In the News

• Barbara Schultz, senior attorney in LAFLA’s Housing Unit was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times and Daily Journal about the Alexandria Hotel settlement. The articles appeared in the February 12 & 13 issues respectively.
• Wynn Collins, who manages the Torrance Self Help Legal Access Center, and Silvia Argueta were interviewed by the Daily Breeze in Torrance about the state of legal aid organizations during these difficult times. The article appeared in the February 17 issue.
• Ana Storey, Managing Attorney of the Consumer Law Unit responded to a Forum Column in the Daily Journal about the use of retraining orders. The letter-to-editor appeared in the February 20 issue.
• Louis Rafti, an attorney in LAFLA’s Housing/Eviction Defense Unit was quoted in the February 9 issue of La Opinion about how the housing crisis is affecting Section 8 Housing recipients.
• Anel Flores, Employment Law attorney was quoted in the February 23rd issue of La Opinion article about what employees should know when they’re laid off.
• William Flanagan, Consumer Law attorney, was interviewed on March 4 by CBS2 television about the Obama Administration's foreclosure relief plan and how it may affect LAFLA’s clients. The interview aired later that evening at 10 p.m. on KCAL9 and at 11 p.m. on CBS2 newscasts.

*Complete news articles can be read at www.lafla.org/news/index.asp.