Ahead of CDC moratorium expiration, LASP housing attorneys requested courts give renters time to connect with EXISTING funding for rent & utility assistance, to prevent evictions & homelessness

Leading up to the July 31 expiration of the CDC eviction moratorium, LASP housing attorneys reached out to the Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery county courts to advocate for extra time for tenants to connect with EXISTING rent and utility assistance. The funds are available in all four counties and aim to get landlords paid, catch renters up with utility payments, prevent evictions and homelessness during the global pandemic, and improve community health outcomes as COVID-19 case counts are again on the rise.

In Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties, LASP requested a 60-day eviction diversion program.

In Bucks County, LASP requested a 60-day stay on evictions.

To learn about programs with funding CURRENTLY available to help renters in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, as well as Pennsylvania, visit our website news page: bit.ly/rent-utility-help, or scroll down.

Register now for "HOUSING PENNSYLVANIA: Everything we know about evictions and rental assistance" virtual panel and Q&A, hosted by Spotlight PA: bit.ly/3rEuiee. The event will be Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021 at 5 p.m. Submit your questions in advance to events@spotlightpa.org.

Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PA; Kyle Webster, General Counsel for ACTION-Housing; and Michelle Dempsky, LASP Staff Attorney and lead attorney in Montgomery County's Eviction Prevention and Intervention Coalition (EPIC); will discuss evictions and rental assistance in Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on July 30, 2021 announced an extension of its moratorium on evictions for foreclosed borrowers and their occupants through Sept. 30, 2021, and noted the expiration of the foreclosure moratorium on July 31, 2021. This extension is part of President Biden’s announcement on July 29 that federal agencies will use their authority to extend their respective eviction moratoria through the end of September, which will provide continued protection for households living in federally-insured, single-family properties. FHA’s eviction moratorium extension will avoid displacement of foreclosed borrowers and other occupants who need more time to access suitable housing options after foreclosure.

U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) press release (July 30): bit.ly/3xjfxi2

by Charlotte Keith

Spotlight PA | July 29 | bit.ly/3ydHARt

Allentown Morning Call | July 29 | bit.ly/3ieDliY

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | July 30 | bit.ly/3joT7XZ

Candy Woodall, Pennsylvania State Capital Bureau

Doylestown Intelligencer | July 26 | bit.ly/3BBWOBP

Pocono Record | July 27 | bit.ly/3eYdCJw

by Jo Ciavaglia | Bucks County Courier Times | July 23, 2021 | bit.ly/2WIDUsX

by Tom Sofield | LevittownNow.com | July 23, 2021 | bit.ly/3kXP7zO

by Peg Quann | Bucks County Courier Times | July 19, 2021 | bit.ly/3eAWskZ

by Kenny Cooper | WHYY News | July 14, 2021 | bit.ly/3ep5rFL

Gettysburg Times | July 10 | bit.ly/3hTs7yI

PennLive.com | July 12 | bit.ly/3kgM4md

Spotlight PA | July 15 | bit.ly/3yOLboE

From Montgomery Bar Foundation

Montgomery Bar Association | Sidebar Magazine | Summer 2021, page 16 | bit.ly/3lhp9rd

by Marion Hoffman Fraley, LASP Communications Director

Sidebar | Summer 2021, page 17 | bit.ly/3lhp9rd

by Marion Hoffman Fraley, LASP Communications Director

Bucks County Bar Association | The Writs Magazine, pages 16-17 | Summer 2021 | bit.ly/3jDWWu6

The Writs | Spring 2021, page 9 | bit.ly/3uGVyZp

The Writs | Spring 2021, page 22 | bit.ly/3yXilDo

by Damon C. Williams | Bucks County Courier Times | July 29, 2021 | bit.ly/3xcL7xN

by Marion Callahan | Bucks County Courier Times & Doylestown Intelligencer | July 11 page 1 | https://bit.ly/3r62wqH

by Dan Sokil | Lansdale Reporter | July 8 | bit.ly/3r4P2v9

by CBS 3 | July 6, 2021 | cbsloc.al/2UCNLiM

In July, LASP announced new pro bono coordinators for Montgomery and Bucks counties.

Kathryn M. Palladino is the new Montgomery County Pro Bono Coordinator, in place of Michael E. Kelley, Norristown Managing Attorney. Kate accepted divorce cases as a volunteer with LASP for three years before joining LASP as staff attorney in 2019. During her time in private practice as a family law attorney, Kate also volunteered for the Eviction Prevention & Intervention Coalition (EPIC) program and the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Project. Kate has also been active in the Montgomery Bar Association (MBA). During 2019, she was the Villanova Law School Liaison of the Young Lawyers Section, where she organized outreaches and helped recruit Villanova Law students to become members of the MBA. During 2020, Kate was the Pro Bono Committee Liaison of the Young Lawyers Section of the MBA. "I'm definitely really excited to take the position over from Mike Kelley and I'm looking forward to continuing the great work that he's done, and building our pro bono efforts in the community." She can be reached at 484-209-0892 or kpalladino@lasp.org.

Megan Reinprecht is the new Bucks County Pro Bono Coordinator, in place of Jennifer Pierce, VOCA Supervising Attorney. Megan is a Staff Attorney in the Community Engagement Unit. She was very involved in pro bono work in law school, where she coordinated public interest clinics and fundraising events. Megan has also supervised and trained volunteers in the Community Engagement Unit, where she also interned during law school. "I'm excited to work with the Bucks County Bar Association both to recruit more attorneys to join our current pro bono efforts and to create new opportunities in different practice areas for attorneys. Volunteering is a great way to learn an area of law that you haven't practiced before, and help our clients in their time of need at the same time." She can be reached at 484-206-8101 or mreinprecht@lasp.org.

LASP's longtime pro bono coordinators in Chester and Delaware counties also are available to answer your questions about volunteering!

Chester County: Contact Brian Doyle, Staff Attorney & Chester County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 484-416-4259 x5210 or bdoyle@lasp.org.

Delaware County: Contact Thomas Kerstan, Staff Attorney and Delaware County Pro Bono Coordinator, at 484-206-7808 or tkerstan@lasp.org.

DOYLESTOWN - In a CLE for attorneys, learn about "Pardons in Pennsylvania: Deconstructing Barriers to Second Chances."

Presenters:

Register through BCBA: bucksbar.org/calendar (CLE #2149) or call 215-348-9413.

As an accredited CLE provider, LASP can provide CLE credits for the pro bono work itself. Volunteers can receive 1 CLE credit for every 5 hours of pro bono work, up to 3 credits per compliance period. (For more information on PACLE's Pilot Program, see pacle.org/providers/pro-bono.)

Renters who are behind on rent and utility payments need to APPLY NOW for help through the state and county programs to prevent eviction. Even if the July 31 CDC eviction moratorium expires without being extended, LASP encourages renters who need help to apply for these programs.

Pennsylvania Emergency Rent [and Utility] Assistance Program (ERAP)

PA's Dept. of Human Services (DHS) website for the Emergency Rent [and Utility] Assistance Program (ERAP) is open for applications. bit.ly/38YznWs. Tenants can apply through COMPASS or their county offices (see the statewide list). Or use the paper application, available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Cambodian, Russian, and Vietnamese.

Bucks Emergency Rental Assistance (BERA) Program

bit.ly/BucksBERA, or call 1-888-50-BUCKS. Tenants and landlords are encouraged to apply. LASP is a partner in BERA. Program flyer.

Need rental assistance? Call 211 and select prompt 2.

Tarde con el pago de la renta? Enfrentando un desalojo? Llame al 211.

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA)

Delaware County Emergency Rental Assistance opened March 26, 2021, at delco-era.com.

Montgomery County Emergency Rent and Utility Coalition (ERUC): yourwayhome.org/eruc

Call Your Way Home by dialing 211, text your zip code to 898-211, OR contact any of the following six participating nonprofits directly:

Norristown Emergency Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance - Home Improvement Program (ERMUA) https://hip.cgph.net/norristown-cares. Clients can call 484-808-2112, email NorristownCARES@gmail.com, or fill out an application online.

Delco CARES assistance is available to qualified homeowners in Delaware County who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

Learn more about eligibility guidelines available assistance through Delco CARES at LASP's website news page: lasp.org/news/delco-cares-for-homeowners-2021, or click image at right for PDF flyer.

To apply to Delco CARES, please contact:

Residents of Upper Darby Borough, Haverford Township and Chester city should contact their municipality to determine the availability of mortgage assistance programs in their community.

Beginning July 15, most families with children began receiving monthly installments of the Child Tax Credit. Payments will be made monthly through December. Families who are eligible will receive $250 per month for each child age 6-17 and $300 per month for children younger than 6.

More details are available on the LASP website news page: lasp.org/news/new-child-tax-credit-2021

Further reading:

HARRISBURG - Work search requirements for individuals receiving unemployment benefits restarted the week of July 11. Individuals began certifying on July 18 that they have looked for work during the previous week.

More information from the PA Dept. of Labor and Industry:

New statewide legal aid resource for UC info: UChelp.org

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) offers a new statewide resource with updates on Unemployment Compensation (UC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the new state UC website, and work requirements. Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) is a partner with PLA on the project. Visit:

2021 health care enrollment deadline: Aug. 15

HARRISBURG - The deadline to enroll in health insurance in Pennsylvania is Sunday, Aug. 15. (Due to COVID-19, enrollment reopened from Feb. 15-Aug. 15, 2021.)

If you are uninsured or affected by COVID-19, visit pennie.com and enroll in a plan by Aug. 15.

Please scroll up for details, or visit lasp.org/events:

NORRISTOWN - LASP's Community Engagement Unit will have a legal information table at the Kids Fair at Elmwood Park Zoo Tuesday, Aug. 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The event is hosted by Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti.

To register: pasenatorcappelletti.com/kidsfair/

CHESTER city - Sara Barthol, formerly a special education professional in the Rose Tree Media School District, is a student at Syracuse University College of Law and an intern with the Chester city, Delaware County office this summer. "I'm passionate about the education of all students regardless of ability and education law/policy/advocacy matters to ensure our children have the brightest futures possible through collaborative school/family relationships," she said. Sara is also part-time research assistant for the ABLT Project with the Burton Blatt Institute. Formerly, she was system administrator for Drexel University, system engineer for Connect American Medical Alert Co. in Bala Cynwyd, Systems Administrator for SunGard Financial Systems for eight years, and Interim Client Computing Manager for University of Pennsylvania Law School. She holds a B.S. in computer science from Susquehanna University, postbaccalaureate certificate in digital media from Drexel, and master's degree in Special Education from Drexel. In 2017, she spoke at the PA Council for Exceptional Children conference in Harrisburg to provide legal tips. She has participated in several efforts and organizations advocating for full funding of Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates, better working conditions and pay for teachers, school safety for students, and other advocacy efforts.

WEST CHESTER - Nicole Bennett is a 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Summer Intern through Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN). Based in LASP's Chester County office, she assisted Staff Attorney Brian Doyle on the Mobile Home Tax Reassessment Project, worked with custody clients and conducted client interviews. Currently a Penn State Law student, she graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2020 with a B.A. in Criminology and a B.A. in Spanish. She has interned with the State Attorney's Office for the 13th Judicial District in Tampa, Florida in the RICO Drug Trafficking unit and volunteered at the University of Iowa College of Law Immigration Clinic as a Spanish interpreter and translator. On July 28, PLAN honored this summer's MLK interns at a Virtual Recognition Reception, which can be viewed at palegalaid.net/internships-fellowships.

WEST CHESTER - An intern in the Chester County office, Karalyn Berman is a student at Vanderbilt University Law School and a Northwestern University alumna with a bachelor's in Earth and Planetary Sciences & Environmental Science. Her bachelor's thesis was "Paleoecological and Geochemical Reconstructions of Isostatic Emergence and Holocene Environmental Change at a Coastal Lake near Buksefjord, SW Greenland." She has served as Development Coordinator for Alliance for the Great Lakes, program coordinator and event planner for Brave Initiatives - Brave Camps, Inc., and as undergraduate student researcher at Northwestern's Quaternary Science Lab in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Dept. In the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at Northern Arizona University, she gained knowledge on social justice issues related to the conservation field. As science intern at Island Conservation in Santa Cruz, California, she helped to create a climate change risk assessment index for islands. Karalyn has served as a tutor for GirlForward and Refugee One, and volunteered at Sunrise Movement and Arizona Justice for Our Neighbors.

WEST CHESTER - Regan Curran has been an intern with the West Chester office since May. She holds a degree from Temple University in English language and literature, and was Marketing Coordinator for Special Olympics in 2015-16. Regan is a student at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. She volunteered with Athletes Helping Athletes for four years, was a server at Goodnight Irene's in Wildwood, New Jersey for four years, an intern at the Center for Employment Opportunities in Philadelphia, and a Data Entry Operator for Philadelphia Medical Billing in Horsham.

CHESTER City - Patrick Farris is a summer intern with the Veterans Advocacy Project, based in LASP's Chester city, Delaware County office. He also has interned with the Bucks County Public Defender's Office. A student at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, Patrick holds a B.A. in political science and government from Penn State University. Patrick stated, "This summer, I have had an invaluable experience working and learning about veterans advocacy with help from my supervising attorneys Richard Prebil and Liz Tarloski. Over the past few months at LASP’s Veterans Advocacy Project, I’ve been able to work one-on-one with clients and assist my supervising attorneys with writing briefs and conducting legal research. This opportunity has allowed me to develop an understanding of multiple areas of law all while providing much deserved legal assistance to our nation’s veterans."

NORRISTOWN - Madison Morton is an intern in the Community Engagement Unit in Norristown, working on the collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system. She is a law student at Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law. She holds an Associate degree from Eastern Florida State College and attended Florida State University, where she volunteered with The Big Event Tallahassee 2018, the largest, one-day, student-run service project in Tallahassee. As Legal Secretary for Georgia Legal Services in Savannah, she supported attorneys in areas such as housing, estate planning, expungement, and family law, specifically divorce for domestic violence survivors. She prescreened clients for Survivor’s United, a program providing one-time donations for emergency housing support for domestic violence survivors and provided administrative assistance at a city-wide expungement clinic. Madison also was Insurance Litigation Intern with Arias Bosinger, PLLC in Melbourne, Florida. She co-created the Make A Difference Dollars group on Facebook, which advocates community engagement and acts of kindness.

MEDIA - A student at Cornell Law School, Renee Olivett is a legal intern with LASP's Media Domestic Violence Office. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from La Salle University with minors in French and leadership and global understanding. She was part of the University Honors Program and a Christian Brothers' Scholar and worked as Archives Dept. Assistant. Renee studied at the Université de Fribourg, Switzerland in 2017, was campus coordinator for Habitat for Humanity in 2017-19, and was an Americorps member in 2019-20. LASP Staff Attorney Kimberly Hollenback noted, “Renee has been an invaluable asset to our office this summer; I’m grateful she has been here to help us assist victims of domestic violence in Delaware County.” 

DOYLESTOWN - Sara Salvo is a Certified Legal Intern based in LASP's Doylestown Domestic Violence Office. A student at Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Sara holds a B.A. in political science and philosophy from Lehigh University. She received honors for her senior thesis, "A Shift from Hume to Hegel: The Superiority of Freedom-Through-Recognition to Justice-As-Sovereignty When Addressing Global Environmental Risk in International Environmental Law." Her political science thesis on democracy in America also garnered departmental honors. She was team captain of the Varsity Rowing Team at Lehigh, where she was named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar Athlete, and was rowing team captain at Notre Dame Preparatory School. "I'm excited to share that I'll be spending my summer as an intern for Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, helping indigent clients obtain Protection from Abuse Orders, Sara said. "I'm humbled to be able to spend my 2L summer doing so while gaining courtroom experience."

DOYLESTOWN - Alanna Weiss volunteered as Paralegal Intern in the Doylestown Domestic Violence Office through late June, when she began a new role as Paralegal with Hill Wallack LLP. A graduate of the Paralegal Certificate Program at Bucks County Community College, she also holds an associate degree in marketing management from BCCC. She has also served as Paralegal Intern at Cevallos & Wong LLP in Newtown. Alanna was Sales Lead for White House Black Market in Langhorne, volunteered for eight years at Walter Miller Elementary School in Levittown, and was Assistant Manager of Petite Sophisticate/Brooks Brothers in Lahaska.

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